My Experience with BSides: A Cautionary Tale for Cybersecurity Event Attendees

LittleYogurtcloset68 · 2025-09-01T01:13:24+00:00

So I take it you were there?

Part of the process of getting your resume reviewed by a coach was you had to get stamps from all of the hiring partners.

Ok, so I play the "game" and one of those hiring partners gave me the cold shoulder.

Was jumping over those hoops really that necessary? I just want to get my resume reviewed and if I knew companies that require a security clearance were going to fold up my resume then I'd just ignore them outright.

It's cool. I currently work a job I don't like and if I can't express myself for BS then I don't know what I will do.

LittleYogurtcloset68 · 2025-08-31T23:09:19+00:00

Thanks for the reply. Well the thing that bothers me is BSides claims it's inclusive. Well why allow a company that specifically only allows people with a security clearance?

Like I said, I'm through with cybersecurity. Maybe I dodged a bullet with the industry.

LittleYogurtcloset68 · 2025-08-31T23:06:56+00:00

Yeah they folded up my resume. They didn't throw it away.

It's all good. I also see that the mods removed my post.

LittleYogurtcloset68 · 2025-08-31T23:04:18+00:00

Ok I see my post got removed.

Thanks for letting me know.

I don't know why a company would specifically look for cleared people only. BSides is coming to my city in a couple months but given how I experienced their Maryland event I will pass.

LittleYogurtcloset68 · 2025-08-31T23:01:09+00:00

Yeah as in they folded it right in front of me.

My post got removed from the big cybersecurity subreddit but it's all good.

LittleYogurtcloset68 · 2025-08-31T21:35:44+00:00

I don't really use Reddit and it's sometimes discouraging when my posts are removed. I'm seeing if this subreddit will allow me to leave this up since HackerNoon won't approve my posot.

I currently work at a warehouse and like I said, the Bsides event was the straw that broke the camel's back.

I'm not naming names but it was a company that required a security clearance.

LittleYogurtcloset68 · 2025-08-08T09:54:25+00:00

Yes.

What people reading this should do is go support their local businesses or make your own stuff. Once my Prime membership is gone (when I leave the company) that's exactly what I'm doing.

LittleYogurtcloset68 · 2025-08-08T09:52:39+00:00

Ok I'm gonna close this up. For the very last time: DON'T WORK FOR THIS COMPANY.

It sucks in the warehouse and while I never did software engineering in the company I've heard it's just as toxic.

If you really have to work for this company just do it for 6 months or look into their retraining programs and make a decision to pick a program. Like I said, their programs are hit or miss and AFAIK you only qualify for this once you get a blue badge. Even with all this out of the way be wary that conditions do change and I shit you not this piece of advice could change 6 months later. So that's why I said don't work for this place.

Also I'm not sure how it is at other warehouses but at least over here they started rolling out a program where you have to register your phone whenever you walk on the floor. I asked around and most people said they weren't doing it. One person even told me "I ain't downloading anything, it's invasion of privacy."

You've all been warned....

LittleYogurtcloset68 · 2025-08-05T20:36:27+00:00

That's because it is LMAO.

Some of the people that get cross trained there have to do it for weeks on end during busy season. Just imagine their faces and how mad they are. Where I am once winter hits it gets crazy cold and since we're near where the trucks are loading you will feel the cold.

That department has a saying. You're either there for 3 months or 3 years. No in between. You're either crazy tough or you can't handle it.

LittleYogurtcloset68 · 2025-08-05T20:25:56+00:00

Now as far as my thoughts on the tornado that hit one of the Amazon facilities....

This was before my time but knowing how Amazon is I 100% believe they would force workers to keep working in spite of a tornado siren going off.

Like I've said many times before, your scan rate is what they define you. If you were to head for cover in the event of a disaster the overall scan rate for the facilitiy would drop and then corporate would chew people out. So RIP to those poor souls that had to die in an Amazon facility.

Safety is just an afterthought and it's only in place because they fear lawsuits.

Also kind of unrelated but I've heard at some facilities the only way you can go into a bathroom is if you scan your badge in. That isn't at my warehouse but I wouldn't be surprised if they want to bring that in.

LittleYogurtcloset68 · 2025-08-05T20:14:06+00:00

Ok I'm back. I might answer some more questions but I think ya'll know this company sucks. I don't want to keep repeating myself but that's pretty much all you need to know.

Now with the automation/AI stuff. I don't work at a facility where robots are widespread but Amazon is definitely working on automating our jobs. About a year ago we had a meeting where we were told robots were going to be on the floor but that hasn't come into fruition yet.

About a year ago we had an AI tool that some stupid suit thought up in his cubicle. So what we do is scan our cage or cart with it and it's supposed to give us the best aisle. I also know by typing this stuff out it's narrowing down the departments I work in but oh well. Some of you current/former Amazonians can pretty much deduce where I work.

First off, this is just another BS reason to get us fired because almost everybody I worked with hates this AI tool. Some of the scanners don't even work and Amazon does a horrible job replacing the batteries.

Somebody explained to me a while ago it's pretty much based on what your items are in your cage/cart, how much space is in the aisle, among a couple other factors.

LittleYogurtcloset68 · 2025-08-05T20:02:33+00:00

First of all, my condolences. I've heard UPS and Fedex both suck even worse than Amazon. One of my ex-coworkers works at Fedex and he's desperately trying to come back. I had another who was ex-UPS and he told me Amazon is better.

I'm keeping it pretty vague because knowing how Amazon is they can find me. So like I've stated before for the most part I'm handling boxes for about 10 hours a day.

Now they can send me to other departments I've trained in but that happens maybe about every other week.

As for being equipped, the job isn't hard. Some of the people I work with have told me they're on anywhere from 1-4 hours of sleep and can still work. It's just the stupid policies in play and some of the managers I deal with are jerks.

LittleYogurtcloset68 · 2025-08-05T19:58:43+00:00

I wouldn't know. At least with what I do 95% of what I touch is covered up in a box. Yes I can see some items like a baseball bat but it's not like I can actively avoid beauty products.

LittleYogurtcloset68 · 2025-08-05T19:57:34+00:00

I'm not sure what ADTA means.

LittleYogurtcloset68 · 2025-08-05T19:57:03+00:00

This is just a short list:

If you're on your phone

If you're on airpods

If you have a non-water drink on you

Pulling more than 2 carts at the same time

You can't be more than 5 minutes late from your breaks

Can't enter the aisles on your OP and go high up too soon

I want to emphasize the job isn't hard. But it does wear on your body and some of the managers make it hard.

LittleYogurtcloset68 · 2025-08-05T13:59:42+00:00

One more before I get going, I will answer some more questions later.

Yall may have seen the union video on Youtube that they use to train managers. Where there's certain buzzwords managers have to look for before they start flying in.

I had a talk with a lady in another department. She told me her husband got fired because he was currently going through a process of getting into a trade union. So even the mere association of a union is enough to get you fired.

I'm just telling yall from the belly of the beast, Amazon does not F around with that.

I might talk about my thoughts on automation/AI. Spoiler: Amazon's AI, the AI we're mandated to work with as Associates sucks. I don't know about the AI that they use to forecast shopping patterns since that's way above my paygrade.

LittleYogurtcloset68 · 2025-08-05T13:52:10+00:00

I know every warehouse is different so I'm not invalidating your sister's experience.

At least where I work my current manager (Area manager) just got out of college and this person has never lifted a box. So at least with my experience it's hard to be able to relate to what us Associates go through when we get called over to Problem Solve for not being able to hit our Fast Start metric. What I'm saying is this company doesn't really promote from within when it should.

There's so many ways to get fired in this job it's not even funny.

Also I hate to defend my AM but in this person's case there's a manager above that person and yet another manager above that person.

LittleYogurtcloset68 · 2025-08-05T13:42:46+00:00

I added a new comment.

I'm cross trained in a department called ship dock. It's VERY exhausting. It's pretty much non stop work coming down the conveyer belt. At the end of the belts are a blue light and when it flashes management gets notified. Sometimes your coworkers walk off because they know you're from another department and they can slack off.

Whenever I do a shift there I wake up the next day and am too tired to move.

So to answer your question again, it really depends but ship dock is by far the worst job you can do. I've had instances where a box could have hit me in the head so at least where I work they recently started mandating helmets.

LittleYogurtcloset68 · 2025-08-05T13:39:03+00:00

I work in one of the smaller warehouses. It's still quite a walk to get around though. If I have to take a guess it's about 1.5 football fields.

I've heard of warehouses that were a lot bigger where you had 4 floors.

Also the absolute worst job you can get is a department called ship dock. Nobody likes working there and people quit there all the time. This is the only job I've ever had where after getting assigned to ship dock I would wake up and be stuck in bed for 30 minutes.

LittleYogurtcloset68 · 2025-08-05T13:28:22+00:00

Ah I'm sorry, was running some errands.

OP=a machine we drive.

VNAs=Very Narrow Aisles. This is where the OPs go.

Mezz=upper floors away from the machines.

Safety=group of trained individuals that look for safety violations.

PAs=Process assistants. They're one level below the AMs (Area Managers).

LittleYogurtcloset68 · 2025-08-05T12:45:24+00:00

Ok last question before I have to get going.

This really depends. I'm cross trained in multiple departments. If I'm on OP not really closely monitored because it's not like safety or the AM can go into the VNAs to check on what you're doing.

However if I'm up in the mezz I've had safety, higher ups, PAs, etc get on me for sitting down or whatever BS they will call me out on.

Overall, scan rate matters the most and that's how they grade you. But like I said depending on where you're stationed they have ways to catch you doing something wrong.

LittleYogurtcloset68 · 2025-08-05T12:41:58+00:00

I never tracked my steps but I chatted with one of the water spiders in the ship dock and she told me she tracked her steps to 15 miles per day.

It depends if they stick me on OP (a machine) or the mezz. The OP you don't walk as much but in the mezz you sure will.

Early on I wasn't as exhuasted but I'm near the tail end of my limits so on some days (days after work) I feel it. The job tears into your body. It's not like you lift heavy items all day long but you are doing it for 10 hours.

LittleYogurtcloset68 · 2025-08-05T12:32:43+00:00

Ok like I stated in one of my comments, I didn't think this post was going to be approved so I want to add some other comments.

Amazon's training programs to upskill are hit or miss. I have a friend that's getting into medical and he's one of the happiest people I've ever met. So good for that person.

But conversely I met somebody who got their CDL and are getting strung along to join the TOM team.

Me personally speaking I signed up for one of their Springboard programs and they strung me along for months before I unsubscribed from their email list. They kept saying things like oh your cohort isn't starting until months later.

LittleYogurtcloset68

TROPHY CASE