IT Certifications and Careers (Official Discussion Thread)
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Billy Preston
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Yea, I started in help desk. While I may be an outlier (< 2 yrs xp). The process is simple. Learn, listen, lab, and leave.
Learn what employers want in a candidate. Search for positions you want. Then, learn the skills they ask for.
Listen to people that are in the position you aspire to get to. Whether it is in person or on here. You can gain experience vicariously.
Lab the new skills you learned about. It will give you a better understanding of the technology.
After you feel you have learned enough at your current job, leave. Make sure you negotiate your new rates, too.
Rinse & repeat
Du'An Lightfoot put out this video today:
I didn't realize that you should look up the Indeed job listings on Glassdoor to find out what the pay is.
I didn't realize that you should look up the Indeed job listings on Glassdoor to find out what the pay is.
Naa I'm not in a high COL city.
Lemme try to break it down.
Most brehs aspire to hit 6 figs in 5 yrs. I said I would do it in less than 2.
Not to be cliche, but I had a target salary in mind since March. I also had a position in mind that would've paid around the same amount. The plan was to get that job no later than Jan. Then, I switched domains. Therefore, my job prospects changed, but I still had that target salary in mind and I still learned mad shyt. Fast forward. I got a call and the recruiter was talking wild numbers. Instead of accepting the initial offer, I negotiated for even more $$ - It's really on some Alchemist shyt tbh.
Edit: mattafact, Cashmere, you sparked the idea
you said in a old post u would hit 6 figs in 6 years. FreshFromATL told you why not do it in 2.
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https://certification.comptia.org/docs/default-source/downloadablefiles/it-certification-roadmap.pdf
Can any of you comment on the legitimacy of these suggestions?
I’m looking at cyber security. Bought a course on udemy last week for CCNA prep.
If it’s legit do you recommend getting most of the intermediate certs before moving to advanced or getting an advanced cert as soon as I’m capable?
Can any of you comment on the legitimacy of these suggestions?
I’m looking at cyber security. Bought a course on udemy last week for CCNA prep.
If it’s legit do you recommend getting most of the intermediate certs before moving to advanced or getting an advanced cert as soon as I’m capable?
Depends on you, breh. You have to factor your hustle and capacity to learn. You have to choose what to apply when ppl share advice. If I followed the typical path. I'd be working on the CCNA or MCSA right now instead of the OSCP.
Cyber security is a huge discipline. You have to be more specific. What exactly do you want to do? Malware analyst, Vulnerability analyst, Red Team, Incident Response, GRC, Network Security Engineer just to name a few.
Most important: Resume > Certs
If you can show an interviewer scripts or tools you wrote in Python, Perl, or Ruby - You will get a job. If you can explain in detail how you have a lab with VSphere running AD, LAMP, SAN, SIEM, NGFW, IPS/IDS - you will get a job. Get creative. Best part is, those two options are free. Compared to expensive certs.
Youseenmywork
KING
Julius Skrrvin
I be winkin' through the scope
There are a lot of different roles in information security and many of them require knowledge of different technologies and skills. For example a SOC analyst employs a completely different skill set from an application security engineer.
breh....
https://www.cbtnuggets.com/blog/2017/05/4-best-entry-level-it-positions/
Jr. SysAdmin is an entry-level job?
4 Best Entry-level IT Positions
May 31, 2017 | Everything CBTN IT Careers - By Team Nuggets
Just starting out in IT? Don’t let the perception that “entry-level” means making a little more money than the intern deter you from pursuing your dreams. Here are five starting IT roles that will boost your bank account, while also giving you a strong resume and career starting point!
1. IT Support Specialist
Everyone has to start somewhere, and if you want to pursue a career in IT, this is a good starting point. IT support specialists are responsible for installing, setting up, and maintaining hardware and software. This is an excellent place to get a feel for troubleshooting, as you’ll likely be called upon to solve issues. According to Payscale.com, the average salary for an IT Support Specialist in the U.S. is $45,691.
Another thing about this role is because you’ll likely work with customers, other departments, and vendors, you’ll need to develop strong communication skills. A little on the introverted side? Don’t worry, you’ll quickly learn to break out of your shell on the job.
Training-wise, earning the CompTIA A+ certification will help you immensely in a support specialist position because it covers the basics of computer hardware and software. You’ll also get a decent introduction to networking, which is arguably the gateway to working in almost any area of IT.
2. Software Developer
If you have a passion for developing your own code, software development could be a path you want to pursue. Software developers are the innovative minds behind a lot of complex, collaborative, and crucial tasks such as designing computer programs, developing applications, and testing software.
Software developers also have a knack for identifying issues, assessing them, and delivering solutions. And they are compensated pretty well for their well-rounded skill set — according to Payscale.com, the average salary for a software developer in the U.S. is $64,583.
Having development and/or programming skills under your belt in an entry-level job can be huge for your growth, whether you stick with the software path or expand to other areas of IT. Once you break in as a software developer, popular programming languages you’ll want to add to move up include C#, C++, Javascript, and .Net.
There are a lot of language options to choose from, so let us help you out.
3. Junior Systems Administration
Does the idea of being the go-to person for everything from setting up firewalls to troubleshooting a server interest you? Do you thrive under pressure? Well, if you’re able to handle high-pressure situations well, you should explore being a systems administrator.
According to Payscale.com, the average salary for sysadmins in the U.S. is $60,084 — and it pays even more as you move up the ladder. Payscale’s pay range for lead sysadmins extends to more than $100,000.
As with any position in IT, you always need to be increasing your knowledge and keeping your skills sharp. To help ensure that you become a sysadmin guru, consider adding IT security, project management, and/or requirements analysis to your skill set!
4. Network Operations Analyst
Networks are essential to every organization. As a result, there’s a lot that goes into making sure networks are designed and set up correctly, configured optimally, and maintained regularly. A good way to get in the door and build the knowledge and skills you need to become a well-rounded networking pro is to become a network operations analyst.
As a network operations analyst, you’ll likely work very closely with and assist network engineers with the upkeep of your organization’s networks, meaning you could be responsible for many day-to-day tasks such as monitoring servers. The average salary for a network operations analyst in the U.S., according to Payscale.com, is $58,367.
There’ll be plenty of trust and, hopefully, confidence placed in you from the very start. Working closely with other IT pros and departments can be an awesome opportunity to build up your professional connections to bring along in any future career endeavors.
And as you move up from any entry-level IT position, some skills you’ll master include project management, VMware, and cloud technologies. And for good measure, throw in some IT security and IT storage training in there, as well. The more well-rounded you are, the faster you can advance and move into more managerial roles if you so desire. Good luck!
Jr. SysAdmin is an entry-level job?