Tyler Brusilow

Tyler Brusilow had a front-row seat to the tech rush. As a technical recruiter, he spent his days talking to software developers and engineers—many of them just a few years out of college—who were landing high-paying roles with the kind of work-life balance many people dream of.

“I was hearing these kids… they were making very good money, and they also seemed pretty relaxed,” Tyler recalls. “I told myself, ‘I want to try that. I should get into that.’”

But Tyler didn’t just want a seat at the table; he wanted to understand the nitty-gritty of the work he had spent years describing to others. The challenge? He didn’t have a traditional technical background. When he asked friends in the industry for a starting point that was high-impact and constantly in demand, the answer was unanimous: Cybersecurity.

Tyler’s search for a launchpad led him to Per Scholas Philadelphia. It hit the trifecta: local, rigorous, and no-cost. But more than the cost, it was the environment that changed his trajectory.

“Everyone there just gave off different energies. They came from different backgrounds, which was exciting. We were all focused on the same thing,” Tyler adds. 

He credits the collaborative atmosphere—and a healthy dose of humor from his instructor, Josh McSwain—with keeping him engaged during the tedious parts of the curriculum. 

“Josh made learning IT fun and helped us learners stay engaged.”

Josh notes that this sense of community is what defines the Per Scholas experience. “I’m here because I believe in what we do, and it’s my job to prove it,” Josh says. “Our learners come into this program ‘optimistically scared.’ They want to believe that everything they have heard about the career they’ve chosen is true, but they’re scared because it’s new.”

To bridge that gap, the program relies on a culture of collective support. “We believe that the road is long and hard, but many hands make light work,” Josh explains. “Through our own personal experiences—whether good, bad, funny, or truly scary—we show our learners it is possible.”

Josh creates a space where learners like Tyler can find their footing. “They know we mean it,” Josh says, “and that gives them the courage and confidence to achieve anything.”

One of Tyler’s biggest realizations at Per Scholas was that he didn’t have to leave his past behind to build a new future. Through professional development workshops with Per Scholas staff, he learned how to craft his corporate speech. He realized his background in sales and recruiting wasn’t a detour—it was an asset.

“Those workshops helped me highlight my attributes that my non-technical roles could translate into… how I can bring sales and other professional backgrounds into the tech space.”

The transformation became real the moment Tyler walked out of his certification exam.

“It was very perfectly timed,” he laughs. “Right after I was walking out of the testing center having passed the CySA+ exam, a recruiter called me.”

That call led to a role as a Cybersecurity Analyst at Comcast. Despite being green in the field, Tyler leaned on the confidence and hands-on training he gained at Per Scholas. 

Today, the imposter syndrome has faded, replaced by the thrill of making an impact in his role.

For Tyler, the biggest change has been the sense of direction: “My professional background was a little bit all over the place before. Now, it’s opened things up for me. Cybersecurity isn’t just one thing… it offers broad options for people whose soft skills might translate.” 

Tyler is already upskilling, eyeing the GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) side of the house, and learning SQL on his own. 

His journey showcases the transformative journey of the Cybersecurity sector and the programs Per Scholas offers.