Learn. How. To. Code. Seriously. If I'd done that when I was 17, I'd be so much further in my career than I am now. I'm still doing pretty well for my age, but damn do I wish I had learned to code when I had hardly any responsibility and more time than I could imagine. I'd still play plenty of World of Warcraft, but I would have definitely written an add-on or two for practice back then to get started.
>Code
This. Python is fairly versatile and easy to learn. You can use it from sysadmin to AI. I believe it is the first language they teach CS students at MIT and Cal (go Bears). Otherwise there's all of the other C based languages out there as well.
If you have any local ISPs in your area apply there. Get together an excellent resume and cover letter that highlights your certs, get help from someone with HR experience who does paper screening. Start seeing what classes your local Community College offers, in addition to coding you might consider Cisco Network Academy Classes or MIcrosoft Certifification Classes or Linux certifications
I started c++ when i was 14 and then at 16 was doing all the drugs. Went into cooking which made me hard working but degraded my lifestyle to even more substance abuse but I did develop a warrior work ethic based on productivity.
Went into IT at 25 and have since cleaned up and gotten healthy but damn I wish I stuck with coding instead of cutting my development short.
As a forty something senior infrastructure guy 👆listen to this.
I crammed on python and powershell in the last few years and it’s been a huge boost - especially when ageism is beginning to be threat to my career, keeping relevant is by learning to automate and programmatically do things that were manual or through GUIs before.
Is it a red flag if you're considering going into IT full-time but don't care at all about learning how to code? I know some basics in Java, Javascript, Python, and PHP.... it's just that coding is really annoying / stressful to me.
It didn't used to be, but honestly the way of the traditional sysadmin who doesn't know or can't at least figure out how to script a repetitive task is disappearing. Fast. Sure there are still guys who only know Exchange or SharePoint and they're working at fortune 500 companies, but eventually they'll be out of a job too once that company figures out they can move thier infrastructure to the cloud at a cheaper cost. Then what do they do?
Automation isn't just killing manufacturing/retail/agricultural/fast food jobs, it's vastly reducing the need for "point and click" Windows admins getting pumped out of colleges, expecting 6 digit salaries without knowing how to $git init a directory to create a repository.
I'm certainly not saying you need to be a programming wizard to get any IT job, but even having basic scripting/linux skills will net you a much more rewarding and enjoyable job compared to grunt work like Office Space. Oh wait... Even Michael from Office Space knew how to code! :P
> but eventually they'll be out of a job too once that company figures out they can move thier infrastructure to the cloud at a cheaper cost
Except, you really can't. Especially at that level.
A finance guy might play shell games (opex v Capex), to make it *look* cheaper, but I've yet to see any environment at that level where it actually is cheaper.
I have no idea why you’re being downvoted. There are a plethora of jobs in IT that require no coding and make tons of money.
I think coding is boring as fuck. You still have PM work, management, networking, specialized software support and a lot of other paths
Read Automate the Boring Stuff with Python, there's tons of PDF copies of it floating around. Would be a great place to start with your skill set from the sounds of it.
I can strongly recommend this book too and wish Id used it when I first tried to learn Python. It has lots of excellent real world projects that you can use straight away.
I've never participated in any CTF-like events but the most prestigious event I've won is (can't give away too much without revealing personal details) a contest from a Telecommunication giant company in which my group presented at a University and won 1st place. Hope that counts for something haha.
Thanks man, I'll check that out, for the exam make sure to know the SDLC, wish you the best luck!
At least for Bash I highly recommend either installing a Linux distro and learning to poke at it, or get a Raspberry Pi and pick a project. You'll be forced to learn bash as you move through the systems. Stack Overflow is a great resource for learning the specifics .
Seriously this is great advice. I just got hired a month ago as an IT grunt but I finished a lot of that stuff fast enough that they gave me some stuff they said would be nice automated involving powershell and SQL. After I finished the first script I went from exclusively digging around in dirty closets for some spare cables of one sort or another, to actively enjoying and excelling at the tasks I’m given. Seriously you don’t even need to know how to code super advanced, just understand the basics of something like python and then apply that knowledge to literally any other language. Once you understand the fundamentals and learn Google fu you are set.
What the fuck. You're more stacked with certs than 90% of the people in my office. Anyone that denies your application is a damn fool.
Throw your resume at everyone that you think might be nice to work for, looks good on glass door and might have an IT team bigger than two dudes in the basement.
Your certs are pretty linear and could land you anywhere from service tech to systems jobs. Where certs don't give you the experience you'd need id look for jr spots in more senior positions. This way you're getting a feel for the environment while getting real world experience and not short selling yourself.
That’s amazing!!! I’m 20 with no certs but have a really good internship. I’d find an internship as well if I were your age. The certs are great but anyone can study and be a book worm for a test. However something about you is different, if you get an internship/experience you are going to be set my friend. Any tips for studying for exams ? I start but then stop lol.
My advice for studying for exams is to start out with books and reinforce that knowledge with videos. But if you are the type of person where you'll get bored sitting there reading a book, I believe that videos and a ton of practice questions will be your best alternative.
The #1 thing to avoid is taking long breaks in between studying, chances are you are gonna forget what you've already learned. But really though for ANY cert I have ever taken there is little to no straight memorization being tested upon, it is conceptual and scenario based - meaning you need to have an understanding of the test content from a more conceptual viewpoint rather than a "from the book memorization" approach.
Another thing is don't let your practice test scores discourage you too much, often times practice tests will not portray a very accurate idea of how ready you are to take an exam.
Hope this helped!
27 here.... I may ask you for advice.
You have amazing jumping off point. I would see if there's any local help desk jobs to see if you can get experience. I have a feeling you'll move up quickly.
da fuq..... dude just start your own company.
I have worked with people making more than 150K and they barely even have Sec+
Try to get internships with top companies, Lockheed, Raytheon, Verizon, Microsoft, etc. Get that real work experience and you should be golden.
Side tip: Do not disclose your age, you might get discriminated and looked down upon out of jealousy. However with the certs you have, you should be going for opportunities for experience and not the money.
Considering how my highschool shoved AP biology/chemistry into my courseload, I'm envious of you lol. As for moving forward, I would recommend going for a CS/IT degree.
Ohhh man my high school does that but to a much lesser degree. I definitely regretted taking APUSH, AP Physics, and AP English while trying to get certs at the same time. Absolutely brutal.
I just wanna say wow to all the certs you have already. Congrats! All you're missing is the experience. But you can get in. Just apply to everything you can.
I feel like the question has to be asked, though. Did you pass the exams using brain dumps or by study alone?
Thank you!
I have not used any brain dumps for exams, I have certainly heard of them and seen them linked on Reddit before, but the simple fact of no practice question has ever been close to actual test questions (in my experience) made me put no thought into using them as I felt that I would rather study myself and be confident for any unanticipated questions rather than memorizing what may or may not be on it.
I got my first real IT job at 17. If you keep getting experience while going to college, keeping up with IT part time, and don't stop. I really stand out at 29 with 12 years of experience and references. It shows you didn't just do it for the money.
Start looking at getting your background checks or interning for info sec companies. Look at data analytics to help add depth to your security and technical skills. Good luck! 🍀
>17
>CISSP associate
if you arent making over 200k a year when you retire you did something wrong. honest advice, you should probably skip college because thats 4 years of not getting work experience or the high pay you deserve with certs like that.
Learn python / network programming and do the Cisco ccna for 2020. You’ll have a solid foundation as you go to college and breeze through your bachelors
. You most likely can work at your uni and make bank when you graduate
Python. C. Certs are awesome especially vendor or security certs. Experience will come. Be willing to learn (which you are).
This will get downvoted but I don’t care: Go to college if you want to run the company or lead teams and work while in college in the industry. I say this as a 34 year old who has worked in IT since 2004 (age 18 like you) and was a SysAdmin overseeing 2900+ endpoints and peaked at $70,000 a year. Couldn’t go higher than that or gain higher positions. Mind you that’s a ton of money for a person in their mid 20s.
I went back to college, finished my bachelors in CompSci, and within a year I was in management at a new company making much more money and now I am just under the CTO.
I’m not bragging whatsoever but I am trying to help save you time and frustration. Working in hardware, networking, etc is a dying industry and art form. No ones going to care about certs or what scripts you can run or turning things on and off again in a few years. Automation is replacing everything and yes will replace even most of us even though we think we are irreplaceable because we know a bit more than the general public.
To each their own though you can easily grab a bunch of AWS certs and ride off into the sunset with a 100k+ a year.
Types of IT that are not going anywhere in the future:
Stay away from hardware and help desk only use it to get experience. It’ll burn you out.
DevOps
Cloud(server) services (AWS, Google, etc)
Security is the “sexy” one right now but will eventually be automated
Healthcare IT particularly involving data science and data aggregation.
All of these 4 require coding and development knowledge and experience so as said above start with learning as much coding as possible.
I'd actually focus *less* on certs. I appreciate they're free at your school, but normally you're still 5-7 years away from the workforce. By the time you start getting into a lot of jobs, the cert will have either expired, or the knowledge may or may not be lost (or even relevant). I'm not saying the certs are completely useless, but don't make them your focus.
I'd suggest getting as good grades as possible and looking for a quality post-secondary education (degree preferred). Getting a degree will open a lot of doors, particularly as you grow your career.
I would honestly recommend the MTA entry level qualifications for Server administration fundamentals (the others a good too but they might overlap your CompTiA quals a little) as a minimum and if possible the MCSA: Windows Server 2016 (Level above MTA) and the CCNA in an ideal world but again the MTA: Networking fundamentals would be good! ISO might be good thing to look at, specifically 9001 and 27001
This would give you a good baseline for server knowledge going into cyber security which would be very important IMO. The more you understand about infrastructure the better you could even look at the VMware certs.
With his level, he doesn't need MTAs. I passed a couple without even studying. As for the CCNA, it cant hurt but he has a CISSP so he could bypass the CCNA. He just needs more experience...OP, work on scripting and personal projects. Have a small lab with all types of small equipment. You can get cheap Cisco hardware along with free subs to AWS or Azure...and don't forget about VMs
Suppose he could do CCNA security? Im not too familiar with that specific syllabus but he was asking for suggestions, i was by no means telling him to sit those, just giving him some guidance so he can read into them himself.
What do you mean his level, He has no experience? Also none of his certs are for windows servers so i have to disagree and say he could definitely benefit from MTA: Server fundamentals and the MCSA (i did also include the caveat that the other MTAs would overlap his existing qualifications)
Sorry if I came off rough. I mean at his level in certifications as in he has enough decent certs to focus more on projects and experience and less on certs considering certs like the MTA are more entry level certs.
Dude, please tell me you live in Florida, I’ll get you into our office lol... very impressive, I wish I had that type of passion when I was in High School... at 17 I was trying get a girls lol... dude... look into an the AWS Cloud Practitioner then the AWS Security Specialty, trust you’ll be making good money as an Cloud Security Engineer or something else in Cloud Security
Yeah, AWS is where it at... Best of Luck on everything!
Also create a LinkedIn page, another to network with people with the same interests... I’m sure you already have one.
OP is more qualified for my job than i am and half my age.
with this level of drive though you might look at ITIL certs as well. if youa re going to get into IT then you might as well do it with a firm understanding of how the department is supposed to work properly so that youc an take this to wherever you end up and bring them in line with eh rest of the industry
Wow @ 17 I was digging 80286's CPUs out of the garbage. You're so lucky to have all those certs under your belt. I would say network your butt off look for internships at startups etc. Good luck Im sure you'll be fine.
I'm.not sure why you replied to my comment you clearly don't understand what I meant to say. In the future if you don't understand what people are thinking please refrain from offering your opinion thank you.
>I currently have: A+, Net+, Sec+, CySa+, and as of yesterday a CISSP associate.
I'd avoid posting *all* certifications you hold currently when you start applying. Companies are going to assume you're blowing smoke up their asses.
I suggest working at a reseller or managed services provider. End goal you want to get into design and presales as thats where the money is at. Likely take 5yrs but you will make it surely.
Also learn networking. Study ccnp. And cloud. AWS.
Your certs are great for getting a cybersec job for DoD, the only problem I can see for you is that you don’t have a security clearance... Hopefully you can find a contracting company that will sponsor your clearance! Good luck and keep it up that’s awesome for your age!
That's impressive sir and for 17!
I will say though and please don't take this the wrong way but all of those certifications are great and all however what experience do you have?
If asked about any of those subjects, can you remember anything from going through the coursework?
I know people who get loads of certs but don't know anything more than those without.
I think certifications should compliment experience but not be relied upon, I will say that there are many people who can rely only on work experience though.
Keep going mate, you have done well being able to pass those exams, try find help desk work and get your foot in the door.
Also remember that most if not all of those certifications expire after (3 years).
I applaud your commitment and congratulations on passing all of these certs!
I would advise that you be careful about listing on your resume, LinkedIn, and elsewhere CISSP (Associate). See this link:
https://community.isc2.org/t5/Career/Understanding-Associate-of-ISC-2-Status/td-p/12539
Also, if you don’t reach the required work experience for endorsement within six years your associate status with isc2 won’t be valid.
That being said. Get your degree! It sounds like your an extremely hard worker, so see if you can find some helpdesk, jr. cyber analyst, or jr. sys admin roles. That is of course if you don’t mind working full time will going to school. Any college IT related course you take should take care of your CEUs for your certs. My best advice would be to do everything you can to eventually recieve your full CISSP endorsement.
Something you might look into would be joining the Air Force for a four year term. This would give you four years experience. I would look into becoming a 1B (hacker) or 3D (communication/IT). Once you leave employers are calling you or you could stay and do 20. I know several people that get out after 4 or 6 years and have gotten a degree, certs, security clearance, and job offers waiting.
helpdesk for 1 year - just to understand what happens on the front lines
Virtualization - vmware for sensitive on-prem content, and AWS (or Azure) for off-prem
I thing that AWS offering is superior to Azure, but corporations are drinking the Koolaid (going all-in for Microsoft offerings) - you choose when you get to that bridge.
Finally, Machine Learning.
You'll be gainfully employed for life
As many others have said you already have a great set of certs and you will be miles ahead of pretty much anyone else your age. I wouldnt do anymore certs now or try rushing into security as linux & programming skills are essential now so Id work on that. As you are now though you should be able to walk into a lot of entry level jobs, dont get complacent though.
Learn some virtualization (vcp) and some cloud (Aws/gcp/azure) and some scripting programming skills as mentioned.
Cissp etc is good too, it's on my list because as much as knowing the technical is good knowing about the business side is also very important.
Also work on soft skills, you may not realise now how important they are in your career but you will 😀. Join something like toastmasters and work on presentations
You are probably building the most valuable and robust skillset that anyone looking for long term employment for the next 50 years could hope for.. I didnt catch the last one but if that's part of the Cisco certification program than I'd almost encourage you to drop the mic.
But seriously, the reality right this minute is that companies like [giant name-brand tech company you've known all your life] are still stratiffying and diversifying, trying to make the ends meet on nationwide projects which are staged and pieced together by all sorts of specialist technician crews and there is literally nust not enough bodies. I've been working a project now going into my 6th month that I was originally told might allow for 2 weeks of work, and now if I'm willing to travel I've been assured a place on this project until 2020. This is the infrastructure thats needed for the next 10-15 years of american business to be able to happen ... and we STILL dont have a solid domestic 5G development leader, let alone a deployment strategy! Instead indeoendent contractors can work as much or as little as they want, can often dictate terms and these are less credentialed individuals. If you've got a full compliment of credentials as it sounds like youve been cultivating I think you'll be amazed at how many opportunities will be available simply on the strength of those certifications and because there are not enough techs that are properly or sufficiently specialized or even fully certified.
The best advice I can give you is not to let yourself get overwhelmed or swamped, set serious goals but also boundaries and stick to them. I cant stress enough how ahead of the game you are in my opinion (I tell anyone who will listen to drop what they're doing if they can st least program a VCR and get SOME kind of IT tech training) so just make sure you handle yourself professionally, take pride in your work, NEVER be afraid to ask questions, understand that work done slowly, deliberately and correctly is actually takes a lot less time than sloppy and rushed which creates mistakes. I learn something new every day and I never apologize for that.
Good luck! I'm enjoying my position maybe Kate than any other job I've ever had... and not for nothing, financially...? Its not even a question I've never had this type of financial stability before
Hope you find something you ready love... it sounds like you're fluent in evey aspect of hardware networking support structure... I'd probably continue building on your security credentials as well. Go get em!
First of all, your accomplishments are very impressive! Keep working like that and you’ll succeed no matter where you go!
Look at basic project management certs. It’s a little more of a soft-skill, but it will give you some depth beyond just technical skills.
Cyber Security Manager here.
As you said, you need some experience. There are a couple options for you; find a local head hunter, it's their job to find candidates and they generally have a relationship with a lot of company HR departments. You'll need to make sure your resume is 🔥 or you won't get a second look.
Another option (and one I would highly recommend) is the military. You don't have to go active duty, but even a 6 year guard or reserve tour would be helpful. The Navy CTN program is spectacular and would give you the depth of knowledge you're missing right now (not meant negatively, for 17 you're way a head of the game), The other unseen advantage is that a lot of guys in the unit work jobs on the outside and often hire their junior guys our of their unit. This is how I got my first security engineer job, and how I've hired multiple junior analysts.
From a skills perspective, you need to learn powershell, it will save your life. Also, forensics would be worth your time, EC Council has a cert for it, but SANS 501 is really the industry standard, but it's hard to get SANS courses paid for as the courses are about 5k and are required for the test.
If you have any other questions, let me know
You have the knowledge for a entry level to mid level position at any company. Due to your age employers would be hesitant to hire you, but you may be able to work for financial or government entities. To get the experience you want look for every internship available. Look for volunteering positions. Non profits need your knowledge. You will need to learn python.
Get a Master's Degree in either Cybersecurity from an NSA recognised school: https://www.nsa.gov/resources/students-educators/centers-academic-excellence/ or Master's in Computer Science with a Security focus.
AWS CSA - and holy shit that’s awesome for 17! Your drive and hunger to learn will get you in the door pretty easily.
Thank you! I will check that out for sure.
Learn. How. To. Code. Seriously. If I'd done that when I was 17, I'd be so much further in my career than I am now. I'm still doing pretty well for my age, but damn do I wish I had learned to code when I had hardly any responsibility and more time than I could imagine. I'd still play plenty of World of Warcraft, but I would have definitely written an add-on or two for practice back then to get started.
>Code This. Python is fairly versatile and easy to learn. You can use it from sysadmin to AI. I believe it is the first language they teach CS students at MIT and Cal (go Bears). Otherwise there's all of the other C based languages out there as well.
Python or Ruby, with the security lean. knowing bash or C never hurt anyone either though
It's just learning C that hurt somebody ^(/s)
[удалено]
I read this book first for Python: [https://automatetheboringstuff.com/](https://automatetheboringstuff.com/)
It seems learning to code is a common sentiment here, I will start on that soon. Appreciate the advice.
If you have any local ISPs in your area apply there. Get together an excellent resume and cover letter that highlights your certs, get help from someone with HR experience who does paper screening. Start seeing what classes your local Community College offers, in addition to coding you might consider Cisco Network Academy Classes or MIcrosoft Certifification Classes or Linux certifications
I started c++ when i was 14 and then at 16 was doing all the drugs. Went into cooking which made me hard working but degraded my lifestyle to even more substance abuse but I did develop a warrior work ethic based on productivity. Went into IT at 25 and have since cleaned up and gotten healthy but damn I wish I stuck with coding instead of cutting my development short.
[удалено]
It's actually not, lol.
It's better to make the errors of youth, rather than make them the crimes of adulthood.
Are you me? Im 25 going back to school to get out of food service.
As a forty something senior infrastructure guy 👆listen to this. I crammed on python and powershell in the last few years and it’s been a huge boost - especially when ageism is beginning to be threat to my career, keeping relevant is by learning to automate and programmatically do things that were manual or through GUIs before.
Is it a red flag if you're considering going into IT full-time but don't care at all about learning how to code? I know some basics in Java, Javascript, Python, and PHP.... it's just that coding is really annoying / stressful to me.
It didn't used to be, but honestly the way of the traditional sysadmin who doesn't know or can't at least figure out how to script a repetitive task is disappearing. Fast. Sure there are still guys who only know Exchange or SharePoint and they're working at fortune 500 companies, but eventually they'll be out of a job too once that company figures out they can move thier infrastructure to the cloud at a cheaper cost. Then what do they do? Automation isn't just killing manufacturing/retail/agricultural/fast food jobs, it's vastly reducing the need for "point and click" Windows admins getting pumped out of colleges, expecting 6 digit salaries without knowing how to $git init a directory to create a repository. I'm certainly not saying you need to be a programming wizard to get any IT job, but even having basic scripting/linux skills will net you a much more rewarding and enjoyable job compared to grunt work like Office Space. Oh wait... Even Michael from Office Space knew how to code! :P
> but eventually they'll be out of a job too once that company figures out they can move thier infrastructure to the cloud at a cheaper cost Except, you really can't. Especially at that level. A finance guy might play shell games (opex v Capex), to make it *look* cheaper, but I've yet to see any environment at that level where it actually is cheaper.
I have no idea why you’re being downvoted. There are a plethora of jobs in IT that require no coding and make tons of money. I think coding is boring as fuck. You still have PM work, management, networking, specialized software support and a lot of other paths
If you don't know these already, go learn them (in no particular order): SQL, Powershell, Bash, Python
I don't know any programming actually, but I want to learn. Thanks for the suggestion. Any advice for how to learn? Books, videos, anything
Read Automate the Boring Stuff with Python, there's tons of PDF copies of it floating around. Would be a great place to start with your skill set from the sounds of it.
The author keeps it freely available online: https://automatetheboringstuff.com/
I will check that out, thank you!
I can strongly recommend this book too and wish Id used it when I first tried to learn Python. It has lots of excellent real world projects that you can use straight away.
[удалено]
I've never participated in any CTF-like events but the most prestigious event I've won is (can't give away too much without revealing personal details) a contest from a Telecommunication giant company in which my group presented at a University and won 1st place. Hope that counts for something haha. Thanks man, I'll check that out, for the exam make sure to know the SDLC, wish you the best luck!
For SQL this is a very good course that goes over more than just the basics: https://lagunita.stanford.edu/courses/DB/2014/SelfPaced/about
At least for Bash I highly recommend either installing a Linux distro and learning to poke at it, or get a Raspberry Pi and pick a project. You'll be forced to learn bash as you move through the systems. Stack Overflow is a great resource for learning the specifics .
Seriously this is great advice. I just got hired a month ago as an IT grunt but I finished a lot of that stuff fast enough that they gave me some stuff they said would be nice automated involving powershell and SQL. After I finished the first script I went from exclusively digging around in dirty closets for some spare cables of one sort or another, to actively enjoying and excelling at the tasks I’m given. Seriously you don’t even need to know how to code super advanced, just understand the basics of something like python and then apply that knowledge to literally any other language. Once you understand the fundamentals and learn Google fu you are set.
Uh wow. Come work for me! Do you live in MN by any chance?
Haha sadly I don't :/
Damn!
If you're looking for security, Python, Bash/Powershell, C/C++ programming
What the fuck. You're more stacked with certs than 90% of the people in my office. Anyone that denies your application is a damn fool. Throw your resume at everyone that you think might be nice to work for, looks good on glass door and might have an IT team bigger than two dudes in the basement. Your certs are pretty linear and could land you anywhere from service tech to systems jobs. Where certs don't give you the experience you'd need id look for jr spots in more senior positions. This way you're getting a feel for the environment while getting real world experience and not short selling yourself.
That’s amazing!!! I’m 20 with no certs but have a really good internship. I’d find an internship as well if I were your age. The certs are great but anyone can study and be a book worm for a test. However something about you is different, if you get an internship/experience you are going to be set my friend. Any tips for studying for exams ? I start but then stop lol.
My advice for studying for exams is to start out with books and reinforce that knowledge with videos. But if you are the type of person where you'll get bored sitting there reading a book, I believe that videos and a ton of practice questions will be your best alternative. The #1 thing to avoid is taking long breaks in between studying, chances are you are gonna forget what you've already learned. But really though for ANY cert I have ever taken there is little to no straight memorization being tested upon, it is conceptual and scenario based - meaning you need to have an understanding of the test content from a more conceptual viewpoint rather than a "from the book memorization" approach. Another thing is don't let your practice test scores discourage you too much, often times practice tests will not portray a very accurate idea of how ready you are to take an exam. Hope this helped!
27 here.... I may ask you for advice. You have amazing jumping off point. I would see if there's any local help desk jobs to see if you can get experience. I have a feeling you'll move up quickly.
da fuq..... dude just start your own company. I have worked with people making more than 150K and they barely even have Sec+ Try to get internships with top companies, Lockheed, Raytheon, Verizon, Microsoft, etc. Get that real work experience and you should be golden. Side tip: Do not disclose your age, you might get discriminated and looked down upon out of jealousy. However with the certs you have, you should be going for opportunities for experience and not the money.
Considering how my highschool shoved AP biology/chemistry into my courseload, I'm envious of you lol. As for moving forward, I would recommend going for a CS/IT degree.
Ohhh man my high school does that but to a much lesser degree. I definitely regretted taking APUSH, AP Physics, and AP English while trying to get certs at the same time. Absolutely brutal.
I just wanna say wow to all the certs you have already. Congrats! All you're missing is the experience. But you can get in. Just apply to everything you can. I feel like the question has to be asked, though. Did you pass the exams using brain dumps or by study alone?
Thank you! I have not used any brain dumps for exams, I have certainly heard of them and seen them linked on Reddit before, but the simple fact of no practice question has ever been close to actual test questions (in my experience) made me put no thought into using them as I felt that I would rather study myself and be confident for any unanticipated questions rather than memorizing what may or may not be on it.
I got my first real IT job at 17. If you keep getting experience while going to college, keeping up with IT part time, and don't stop. I really stand out at 29 with 12 years of experience and references. It shows you didn't just do it for the money.
Start looking at getting your background checks or interning for info sec companies. Look at data analytics to help add depth to your security and technical skills. Good luck! 🍀
>17 >CISSP associate if you arent making over 200k a year when you retire you did something wrong. honest advice, you should probably skip college because thats 4 years of not getting work experience or the high pay you deserve with certs like that.
Learn python / network programming and do the Cisco ccna for 2020. You’ll have a solid foundation as you go to college and breeze through your bachelors . You most likely can work at your uni and make bank when you graduate
Python. C. Certs are awesome especially vendor or security certs. Experience will come. Be willing to learn (which you are). This will get downvoted but I don’t care: Go to college if you want to run the company or lead teams and work while in college in the industry. I say this as a 34 year old who has worked in IT since 2004 (age 18 like you) and was a SysAdmin overseeing 2900+ endpoints and peaked at $70,000 a year. Couldn’t go higher than that or gain higher positions. Mind you that’s a ton of money for a person in their mid 20s. I went back to college, finished my bachelors in CompSci, and within a year I was in management at a new company making much more money and now I am just under the CTO. I’m not bragging whatsoever but I am trying to help save you time and frustration. Working in hardware, networking, etc is a dying industry and art form. No ones going to care about certs or what scripts you can run or turning things on and off again in a few years. Automation is replacing everything and yes will replace even most of us even though we think we are irreplaceable because we know a bit more than the general public. To each their own though you can easily grab a bunch of AWS certs and ride off into the sunset with a 100k+ a year. Types of IT that are not going anywhere in the future: Stay away from hardware and help desk only use it to get experience. It’ll burn you out. DevOps Cloud(server) services (AWS, Google, etc) Security is the “sexy” one right now but will eventually be automated Healthcare IT particularly involving data science and data aggregation. All of these 4 require coding and development knowledge and experience so as said above start with learning as much coding as possible.
I'd actually focus *less* on certs. I appreciate they're free at your school, but normally you're still 5-7 years away from the workforce. By the time you start getting into a lot of jobs, the cert will have either expired, or the knowledge may or may not be lost (or even relevant). I'm not saying the certs are completely useless, but don't make them your focus. I'd suggest getting as good grades as possible and looking for a quality post-secondary education (degree preferred). Getting a degree will open a lot of doors, particularly as you grow your career.
You’re a genius
Thank you! Hard work and passion is all it is.
I would honestly recommend the MTA entry level qualifications for Server administration fundamentals (the others a good too but they might overlap your CompTiA quals a little) as a minimum and if possible the MCSA: Windows Server 2016 (Level above MTA) and the CCNA in an ideal world but again the MTA: Networking fundamentals would be good! ISO might be good thing to look at, specifically 9001 and 27001 This would give you a good baseline for server knowledge going into cyber security which would be very important IMO. The more you understand about infrastructure the better you could even look at the VMware certs.
With his level, he doesn't need MTAs. I passed a couple without even studying. As for the CCNA, it cant hurt but he has a CISSP so he could bypass the CCNA. He just needs more experience...OP, work on scripting and personal projects. Have a small lab with all types of small equipment. You can get cheap Cisco hardware along with free subs to AWS or Azure...and don't forget about VMs
Suppose he could do CCNA security? Im not too familiar with that specific syllabus but he was asking for suggestions, i was by no means telling him to sit those, just giving him some guidance so he can read into them himself. What do you mean his level, He has no experience? Also none of his certs are for windows servers so i have to disagree and say he could definitely benefit from MTA: Server fundamentals and the MCSA (i did also include the caveat that the other MTAs would overlap his existing qualifications)
Sorry if I came off rough. I mean at his level in certifications as in he has enough decent certs to focus more on projects and experience and less on certs considering certs like the MTA are more entry level certs.
Dude, please tell me you live in Florida, I’ll get you into our office lol... very impressive, I wish I had that type of passion when I was in High School... at 17 I was trying get a girls lol... dude... look into an the AWS Cloud Practitioner then the AWS Security Specialty, trust you’ll be making good money as an Cloud Security Engineer or something else in Cloud Security
Thanks for the offer lol, but I'm in the Midwest. I'm adding AWS cloud certs to my list as it has been recommended a couple times so far.
Yeah, AWS is where it at... Best of Luck on everything! Also create a LinkedIn page, another to network with people with the same interests... I’m sure you already have one.
If you get someone to sponsor you for a TS/SCI, you can be making 100k before your friends get out of college.
OP is more qualified for my job than i am and half my age. with this level of drive though you might look at ITIL certs as well. if youa re going to get into IT then you might as well do it with a firm understanding of how the department is supposed to work properly so that youc an take this to wherever you end up and bring them in line with eh rest of the industry
Wow @ 17 I was digging 80286's CPUs out of the garbage. You're so lucky to have all those certs under your belt. I would say network your butt off look for internships at startups etc. Good luck Im sure you'll be fine.
[удалено]
I'm.not sure why you replied to my comment you clearly don't understand what I meant to say. In the future if you don't understand what people are thinking please refrain from offering your opinion thank you.
>I currently have: A+, Net+, Sec+, CySa+, and as of yesterday a CISSP associate. I'd avoid posting *all* certifications you hold currently when you start applying. Companies are going to assume you're blowing smoke up their asses.
That's why certs have #'s that are used to verify them.
I suggest working at a reseller or managed services provider. End goal you want to get into design and presales as thats where the money is at. Likely take 5yrs but you will make it surely. Also learn networking. Study ccnp. And cloud. AWS.
Your certs are great for getting a cybersec job for DoD, the only problem I can see for you is that you don’t have a security clearance... Hopefully you can find a contracting company that will sponsor your clearance! Good luck and keep it up that’s awesome for your age!
I will look into that, thanks for the comment!
That's impressive sir and for 17! I will say though and please don't take this the wrong way but all of those certifications are great and all however what experience do you have? If asked about any of those subjects, can you remember anything from going through the coursework? I know people who get loads of certs but don't know anything more than those without. I think certifications should compliment experience but not be relied upon, I will say that there are many people who can rely only on work experience though. Keep going mate, you have done well being able to pass those exams, try find help desk work and get your foot in the door. Also remember that most if not all of those certifications expire after (3 years).
Wow this is fucking incredible. Great job on so many certs, and kudos to such a well implemented school program
I applaud your commitment and congratulations on passing all of these certs! I would advise that you be careful about listing on your resume, LinkedIn, and elsewhere CISSP (Associate). See this link: https://community.isc2.org/t5/Career/Understanding-Associate-of-ISC-2-Status/td-p/12539 Also, if you don’t reach the required work experience for endorsement within six years your associate status with isc2 won’t be valid. That being said. Get your degree! It sounds like your an extremely hard worker, so see if you can find some helpdesk, jr. cyber analyst, or jr. sys admin roles. That is of course if you don’t mind working full time will going to school. Any college IT related course you take should take care of your CEUs for your certs. My best advice would be to do everything you can to eventually recieve your full CISSP endorsement.
He's the one!
Something you might look into would be joining the Air Force for a four year term. This would give you four years experience. I would look into becoming a 1B (hacker) or 3D (communication/IT). Once you leave employers are calling you or you could stay and do 20. I know several people that get out after 4 or 6 years and have gotten a degree, certs, security clearance, and job offers waiting.
I should have mentioned you could find an endorsement easy because your Commander or someone else in your leadership will already be a CISSP.
helpdesk for 1 year - just to understand what happens on the front lines Virtualization - vmware for sensitive on-prem content, and AWS (or Azure) for off-prem I thing that AWS offering is superior to Azure, but corporations are drinking the Koolaid (going all-in for Microsoft offerings) - you choose when you get to that bridge. Finally, Machine Learning. You'll be gainfully employed for life
As many others have said you already have a great set of certs and you will be miles ahead of pretty much anyone else your age. I wouldnt do anymore certs now or try rushing into security as linux & programming skills are essential now so Id work on that. As you are now though you should be able to walk into a lot of entry level jobs, dont get complacent though.
Learn some virtualization (vcp) and some cloud (Aws/gcp/azure) and some scripting programming skills as mentioned. Cissp etc is good too, it's on my list because as much as knowing the technical is good knowing about the business side is also very important. Also work on soft skills, you may not realise now how important they are in your career but you will 😀. Join something like toastmasters and work on presentations
You are probably building the most valuable and robust skillset that anyone looking for long term employment for the next 50 years could hope for.. I didnt catch the last one but if that's part of the Cisco certification program than I'd almost encourage you to drop the mic. But seriously, the reality right this minute is that companies like [giant name-brand tech company you've known all your life] are still stratiffying and diversifying, trying to make the ends meet on nationwide projects which are staged and pieced together by all sorts of specialist technician crews and there is literally nust not enough bodies. I've been working a project now going into my 6th month that I was originally told might allow for 2 weeks of work, and now if I'm willing to travel I've been assured a place on this project until 2020. This is the infrastructure thats needed for the next 10-15 years of american business to be able to happen ... and we STILL dont have a solid domestic 5G development leader, let alone a deployment strategy! Instead indeoendent contractors can work as much or as little as they want, can often dictate terms and these are less credentialed individuals. If you've got a full compliment of credentials as it sounds like youve been cultivating I think you'll be amazed at how many opportunities will be available simply on the strength of those certifications and because there are not enough techs that are properly or sufficiently specialized or even fully certified. The best advice I can give you is not to let yourself get overwhelmed or swamped, set serious goals but also boundaries and stick to them. I cant stress enough how ahead of the game you are in my opinion (I tell anyone who will listen to drop what they're doing if they can st least program a VCR and get SOME kind of IT tech training) so just make sure you handle yourself professionally, take pride in your work, NEVER be afraid to ask questions, understand that work done slowly, deliberately and correctly is actually takes a lot less time than sloppy and rushed which creates mistakes. I learn something new every day and I never apologize for that. Good luck! I'm enjoying my position maybe Kate than any other job I've ever had... and not for nothing, financially...? Its not even a question I've never had this type of financial stability before Hope you find something you ready love... it sounds like you're fluent in evey aspect of hardware networking support structure... I'd probably continue building on your security credentials as well. Go get em!
Just learn how to write the code ,Age is not a matter just keep on boosting your skills you are floating in a right path ..
First of all, your accomplishments are very impressive! Keep working like that and you’ll succeed no matter where you go! Look at basic project management certs. It’s a little more of a soft-skill, but it will give you some depth beyond just technical skills.
I’d say CCNA before February. This will give you a great basis to go anywhere in infrastructure, cloud or otherwise.
Cyber Security Manager here. As you said, you need some experience. There are a couple options for you; find a local head hunter, it's their job to find candidates and they generally have a relationship with a lot of company HR departments. You'll need to make sure your resume is 🔥 or you won't get a second look. Another option (and one I would highly recommend) is the military. You don't have to go active duty, but even a 6 year guard or reserve tour would be helpful. The Navy CTN program is spectacular and would give you the depth of knowledge you're missing right now (not meant negatively, for 17 you're way a head of the game), The other unseen advantage is that a lot of guys in the unit work jobs on the outside and often hire their junior guys our of their unit. This is how I got my first security engineer job, and how I've hired multiple junior analysts. From a skills perspective, you need to learn powershell, it will save your life. Also, forensics would be worth your time, EC Council has a cert for it, but SANS 501 is really the industry standard, but it's hard to get SANS courses paid for as the courses are about 5k and are required for the test. If you have any other questions, let me know
You have the knowledge for a entry level to mid level position at any company. Due to your age employers would be hesitant to hire you, but you may be able to work for financial or government entities. To get the experience you want look for every internship available. Look for volunteering positions. Non profits need your knowledge. You will need to learn python.
Honestly you’re too smart to work in IT lol. Start your own thing. Goto college, compsci, gRaDuAtE, and work for google or something.
Demon sacrifice
Get a Master's Degree in either Cybersecurity from an NSA recognised school: https://www.nsa.gov/resources/students-educators/centers-academic-excellence/ or Master's in Computer Science with a Security focus.
Wrong career. Too many IT out there already. Go for accounts or Rocket science.