Security Testing Journal Entry | w/e Friday November 28, 2025 - "Holiday Season - Week 3" Ed.

Highlights for the week

20 days left before unemployment runs out. Job market is absolutely trash and 2026 doesn't portend to get better. Keeping positive that something will happen between now and end-of-year, but that outlook is starting to look very bleak.

As much as I keep reminiscing about my time at Secure Ideas and where I failed, I think to aspects of where they failed me as well. I'll always be eternally grateful for that opportunity, but I will always harbor some resentment for not getting the proper mentorship and guidance I begged for. Like everything else, gotta do it the hard way!!

What We’re Grateful For

1. Post-Thanksgiving and we had tons of food. 20 years together and we always have a ridiculous spread.
2. Grateful for having a wonderful student that is teaching me as much as I'm teaching her. I'm learnig to be a lead.
3. As always, eternally grateful for the family and friends I have to share these holidays.

What We Loved

1. Love the holidays. Great vibes all around!!

What We Learned

1. API Pen Testing: YNAB [Status: BLOCKED!]
2. BBH! Update to Bugcrowd [Status: IN PROGRESS!] The ticket was created to reach out to the client. 5 - 10 Business days waiting.
3. VAMPI [Status: IN PROGRESS] Practising tons of API Security. More in the week to come.
4. AI Training - I can finally start on ELI's works.
5. Mentor/Mentee w. IMANI, Lesson 5: [Status: DONE!] Next few lessons will be more hands-on. Get her to be more active in the learning.
6. Reading: WAHH Chapter 18 - [Status: IN PROGRESS!]
7. Writing: Chapter "War Cry" [Status: NOT STARTED!]. Outline is done. Will make time to put hands on keys.
8. Burp Suite: HTTP Header Labs [Status: TO DO!]
9. QA Day: API Automation [Status: IN PROGRESS!]. Near-complete with the work.

What We Longed For

1. A great job, with great pay, working with great people, doing cool shit.

What We Loathed

1. Being blocked from API tesing.
2. The job search is just dog sh** at this point. Seeing old jobs I haven't heard or got rejected from redisplayed is a kick in the pants.
3. AI is everwhere, in everything, all at once.