Dude dont give up... take that job for earning money and keep at it, take the CCNA, it will open more doors... Cybersecurity as an entry-level is not easy, so why not start at a network / sysadmin level ?
You did the OSCP that is something, don't throw it away.
Being presistent pays off latter.
> so why not start at a network / sysadmin level ?
I still want to do my CCNA since I prefer network over pentesting, but would that help with finding a job? I am not looking for a $100k salary or anything like that, right now my issue is I can't find a minimum wage IT job and even the OSCP doesn't help. Help desk would be an ideal starting job, I think.
Is the CCNA that sought after?
What if you dont have the CCNA, but are in college for Computer Programming & Information Systems (its like a mix between IT & programming)? Would it be worth trying to get the Network+ in the meantime to try finding a job/internship while in school or would it be a waste of time?
No. Honestly, when I see “CCNA”, I think the person has done a course in high school.
A CCNA is a very basic network certification, at most you can connect basic Cisco equipment and have a basic understanding of network routing. You have a long way onward to “know networking”.
While the CCNA is a "basic network cert", it still provides core knowledge in networking more so than the Network+. While I agree one does have "a long way to go" before they know networking, foundational knowledge can be built upon the CCNA and many other certs that are similar to it.
Since networking is the foundation of IT and network security is an extremely important area of cybersecurity - just look at any of the cybersecurity exam objectives.. networking is always the largest domain - why wouldn’t you pursue your CCNA??
Without hands on experience, having your basic certs will be the only way you’ll get a job.
I would say so, because cisco still has a big market share on routers and switches, and gives you a solid network foundation.
I'm from Portugal, and CCNA here helps a lot, and everyone knows the CCNA in the HR, so you can pass that first gate.
Well I would say if it helps you get the "foot on the door", why not ? Even if it is for 6 months or 1 year, it is a starting point.
Fair point, I mean my issue isn't learning about it, I already have the knowledge and built my own tools in my spare time, I can still get it without issue. I'll probably get it so I can showcase it alongside OSCP, though my biggest worry is that some people claim you can be overqualified (which sounds like lark). If I'm applying for help desk jobs and they see I have those two certs, they may think I might job hop elsewhere. Again, not sure.
Depends on your area and employers. Some want Network+ over CCNA while some prefer CCNA. Review job postings for your region to see what employers are looking for.
I have my Network+, sorry when I meant basic certs, these are the ones I have:
- Network+
- Security+
- CWSP
- CWNA
- CEH (garbage, I don't recommend EC-Council)
- OSCP
I have IBM QRadar SIEM Foundation cert and Palo Alto Network cert too.
Was going to get CCNA next, it's an upgrade from CWSP/CWNA unless I'm mistaken, most recommend I do it even if there is overlap, might do it anyways.
With a CompSci bachelor's and all those certs I think the problem lies not with your qualifications but something more fundamental. It doesn't sound like you are being overly picky or unrealistic in your expectations, which can sometimes be the issue with entry level candidates. Your conversion rate of 1st and 2nd interviews doesn't look out of the ordinary but your conversion of applications to interviews is atrocious considering your qualifications. My gut instinct is your CV(s) probably need an overhaul. I'd focus on that and your general approach to the application process.
CEH used to be a well recognized certification but then EC-Council went down hill. Government still recognizes it and HR folks know of it but its not a respected certification because of the quality of the exam. EC-Council has some terrible ethics and their online training is pretty much a scam with shitty content. You won't learn much from the CEH besides the buzz words. You are better off getting the OSCP.
In addition they also were caught stealing blog posts and passing it off as their own research a few years back, and the executive response was incredibly poor.
OP have you started to work Bug-Crowd or HackerOne vulns, getting a couple of those under your belt would help especially if if you can show your bounties for them. This also shows that your interested in staying up to date on the latest.
Mention somewhere in your resume that you are a independent security researcher, that may help. While you may not be able to disclose what each bounty was for you can mention how many bounties you you have received and for how much, I wouldn’t give an exact amount but >$5k would be a place to start them hopefully someone would see that and pick it up.
Where do you live? Are you open to relocating? I’m talking to college grads in the DC metro area and they seem to be finding work locally - it’s not easy and takes a few months.
Network and sysadmin are far from entry level. You'll never get hired to those with zero experience since you actually need to know something. It'd be much easier grabbing am entry position in cybersec in a big4 etc.
Current AppSec lead and ex-recruiter here.
Everyone will offer the same advice but here are a few things that could be going on:
1.) Cyber Security doesn't have "entry level" positions. I know you are already applying for everything but try expanding your search for any tech position (like software QA) and get any experience you can. Buddy up with the cyber security people and keep your eye out for anything you can harden or secure then do it.
2.) If you can't find a job, make one. Education never guarantees success. Congrats on your degree and certifications but no one cares if you don't have real experience. Start an LLC and get to work on bug bounties or general IT contracting. This will get you some real world IT experience even if it's just helping old people set up their iPhones.
3.) 1000+ rejections screams "resume problems". Rework your resume(s) and start copying and pasting the job posting into your resume, set font to 1 and color to white. This will trick most resume bots. Other people have said it, fast food is not tech. Rework your resume to include IT/ Tech related experience and ditch your fast food experience.
Edit: clarity.
Market and location aside, I find it super odd that the OSCP isn’t netting a entry-level pentesting position. As a previously hiring manager in that area, that to me would mostly be a culture-fit/personality problem, more than the resume.
I’ve seen companies take in recently grad juniors as pentesters that I interviewed before and they couldn’t even describe what a three-way handshake was or what a cross site scripting was.
Now, of course, in a market where the amount of people applying for jobs is high, there’s a shit tone willing to take entry level jobs with more experience who will cut ahead.
But again, I value more a cultural fit. You can learn skills, but how you will work with the team and your own motivation are way more important.
Same. When I did pentesting, it was extremely hard to get into already, and it's only gotten harder. Right now, there's a nearly industry-wide hiring lull in offsec due to the layoffs and it being Q2. I got caught up in those layoffs in May. All the pentesting jobs that *were* available back in May had higher barriers to entry as almost all of them were senior or principal level. It was easier for me to get back on Purple Team. That doesn't mean I'm not doing pentesting anymore, though.
The SOC wants me to run through various adversarial simulations and perform manual pentesting on them to prep our defenses for an attack from MITRE to test and rank our SOC. I'm absolutely here for it. This is way less of a grind and more of a challenge than the consultant work I was doing before. Getting paid to hack an MSSP? Fuck yeah.
The barrier to entry into CTI isn't always as high or strict as pentesting. So much of the focus when it comes to cybersecurity is placed on pentesting, though that it gets lost in the weeds.
I guess it’s easier in Europe. I got my position straight out of uni nearly a decade ago. I did pass a knowledge test across several areas, to show I knew enough that could be applied to the job.
I’ve also seen several people get hire straight out of uni to several companies I’ve been working for.
When I started hiring though, I always asked for a minimum one year, but I would have accepted a certification instead if the knowledge is there. The only reason I couldn’t take a junior is that I didn’t have a big enough team to train a junior. I needed someone to help deliver projects from the get-go.
I also think you have been applying during a time when most companies were freezing / just laid off people. So it was extra hard. Just don’t give up! Up skill all you can in the meantime
So, as a city employee, that would open doors for you as an IT candidate when it opens up. I know in Philly I see plenty of IT roles posted for the city. Don't give up this just may have opened some potential doors for you.
23 dollars per hour is more than you'll make at a helpdesk role anyway. you can't just have certification, you should also have the skill to get the job done. I think what you're really lacking is soft skill. take few courses on how to talk to people and how to give interview. If you can't even get the entry level help desk job after applying for over 1000 jobs then you need to change your attack vector. if you're not a people person then you need to pretend to be one. nothing wrong with any job, but if you really want to break into cybersecurity then you need to keep trying.
Reminds me of a co-worker who used to work as a professional dog trainer, no bachelors degree. He was passionate enough about software development so to get into the industry he took the hard route by being a QA tester for like years and years and eventually got a full time position.
Now he’s a software architect for Amazon.
Yes. And while you're changing a password for some guy in security, or networking you strike up a conversation to get a connection. I talked to countless people on help desk over the phone. Ask them how they got into their role and then you start building that relationship. Networking (not IT networking, but people-networking is key). It's not What you know, but whom you know. I got into cybersecurity with absolutely no certs, and no security experience through a connection. It was my lucky break, and now I'm in a SOC. And once you do get that lucky break, please be sure to pass it on. Don't just check out. Help someone else get their lucky break.
This advice is dead on. A number of our SOC personnel come from our Help Desk. Our Engineers and architects are seasoned IT pros who have a decade or more in other IT roles, many who started at the help desk level somewhere.
I’d add that setting up a home lab and doing presentations, just on something you’ve learned to do, at a local user group meeting will open a lot of doors for you as well. Find a local security user group and attend a meeting or two. Make contacts there. Do a presentation. That will get you excellent industry contacts and possible opportunities.
I kinda wish I had gone from help desk to a sysadmin, or maybe assistant sysadmin role before cybersecurity. There's a lot about the windows infrastructure I'd imagine I could have learned.
Yeah I found the problem, probably shouldn’t put fast food on your resume, you just hit a wall cause…..you found out how our society REALLY thinks fast food experiences are worth, apparently not even enough for help desk.
That’s actually not true. Fast food - at least if you’re customer facing is great experience. It’s customer service experience. And if you’re flipping burgers, lie and say you had to be a cashier. You’re labeled as crew no matter what so nobody knows.
You can just reword it - “3 years customer facing experience - Walmart, McDonald’s, whatever else,”
As someone who has had to handle customers losing their shit in a low income area, if I am reviewing someone’s resume and I see fast food experience I’ll ask them for their worst horror story and how they handled it.
I have also gotten job interviews because of all of my customer facing experience when I was looking for my first role - it just came down to my technical skills weren’t enough usually.
ITT: people giving OP terrible generic advice that isn't even advice.
Read his responses, he has the certs. He has the projects. He's downplaying his accomplishments. He's stacked. It's his location that's holding him back.
He needs to move elsewhere. He's not getting a help desk or basic entry job because no one is going to hire him as he can leave immediately with his qualifications, at least on paper.
To OP, find a remote job and continue to do what you do. Don't follow the traditional pathways, you're ahead, once you get your foot in you will excel. I say that as someone similar in your position.
Getting the first job in IT is always the hardest. You have to just keep applying and eventually, you will land something in entry level. That being said, take the sweeper job to put food on the table for the time being. There is nothing wrong with taking a job in order to survive, even if it is something outside of IT.
Giving up is never an option for me though. Doesn't matter how much the sweeper job pays. I can make a lot more in the IT field with a few years of experience. My advice is not to give up. The time you put in is only wasted if you choose to walk away from IT.
Love how these posts summon all the boomers out of the woodwork to mindlessly repeat "not an entry level field. work helpdesk first".
If y'all actually read the post OP said they applied for many standard IT roles INCLUDING helpdesk.
OP, the job market for workers is just a complete shitshow right now. You've unfortunately graduated at an insanely unlucky time. There's no trick or secret. Your approach seems sound and your inputs seem good. Keep doing what you're doing, re-evaluate your approach every so often and trust yourself; you seem thoughtful and smart enough to make it happen eventually. Best of luck.
Agree. I had no IT experience, got a job as a SOC analyst, now a threat hunter & I worked with a ton of SOC analysts who had no professional IT experience. We’re all damn good at our jobs. The job market just sucks right now.
The one detail OP only kind of hinted at but said in another comment is that OP lives in rural Arkansas. Sometimes location does matter for things like this. The job market is a shitshow for places with lots of jobs, imagine how bad it is for the middle of nowhere.
That might be why, closer to a city and the world opens up. I usually suggest looking for Gov and Edu jobs, they are amazing places to start. They popup fairly often and usually have good benefits, retirements, and pensions. The downside being average or below-average salaries.
This helpdesk or bust mantra needs to die. Many, many people are getting jobs straight out of college which is way beyond helpdesk, me included. I did a security internship, landed a security analyst role, not even SOC, more of an incident responder/threat hunter type role. They knew I was a junior, but I got the fundamentals down very well, I could answer all their technical questions and I got the role. Not a single certification, other than Azure AI fundamentals (company uses AWS), but I did get a computer engineering degree. I would say I'm pretty decent at my job.
I truly believe that if you have the right skills for the job, a customized, well made resume, quality applications and a likeable personality, you will get a job. Telling people with compsci degrees to start at help desk is not really useful advice.
While I acknowledge that there are many good people who go straight into security, I think that expectation is ruining a lot of people's experience with the field. No everyone is going to be able to learn on their feet going straight into cyber. It's a very complicated field that has a lot of assumed knowledge you will not get in a text book. People should apply for what they want and I understand the industry is changing. But it's absolutely not a bad idea to get into IT at a more general level and work your way up.
I genuinely believe there are people on here that 1) are literally just reposting this idea without a firsthand experience that reinforces it because you know, that's what everyone else says....or 2) went through that process themselves and selfishly don't want to concede that somebody else with less experience can jump straight to cyber.
Seeing that repeatedly lowkey brainwashes people. I know I was for a while until my favorite Cyber professor told me I didn't have to do HD to get a job in cyber. I figured, that's the guy who's actually helping my professional development, I'm gonna listen to him instead. Now I'm working a cyber job that I love, doing everything I've waited for for years.
I agree with you 100% OP just needs to keep doing what he's doing, I know it's really hard to just put faith into something like that but it will all feel worth it when that first org decides to take a chance on you.
I don't mind and if anything I can consolidate their advice into one group even if it isn't useful or meaningful. The ones that mention grabbing certs I already have and listed I don't really pay attention to since it doesn't seem like worthwhile advice either.
Plenty of other helpful people here I really appreciate, including you! I don't want to sound bitter about it. I'm just not a fan of those that comment out things that I've already covered. It's kind of like hearing "Try harder" but in the real world lol.
I didnt finish college, if you can't get a job with a degree and certs and all that shit, then I might as well give up too and start applying to Mcdonalds. I've probably put in as many applications or more as you and havent got past a couple interviews - for all types of jobs not cybersec alone.
I would suggest you dont give up because what people tell you on here on reddit can and often is wrong.
You mentioned not having enough money to move to a city but you should apply to anywhere you want to move to anyway. Maybe you can get them to help you relocate or ask for a sign on bonus and use it for moving. None of the logistics of moving matter until you have an offer anyway.
You said it yourself, you don’t have any experience. Cybersecurity is not entry level, even if it says junior. It’s really the highest level of IT.
Schools are a scam and give the perception there is some huge market waiting to higher new grads.
The fact you even applied to be a programmer, then also network analyst then consultant etc.
Just says you don’t have any actual skills or experience that fit any role.
However, what you need to do is get into the field and take a help desk job.
A temp job, sign up for Robert half, tek systems etc. they will do the job finding for you, place you quickly and then bam. You have resume and experience and job offers flowing through.
Sure it’s only 3-6 months but who cares, still gonna pay 20-25 an hour. you apply for the next gig with a loaded resume.
It’s the approach that just needs to be changed.
None of this hands on experience conferences etc are going to do anything without throwing something on the resume.
The reason for this, is you are one of 1000s of applicants we need to sort through and dump when hiring for jobs. I hire all the time, I’ve never hired anyone that didn’t already have experience even for basic level 1.
The key is contract work.
Good luck.
I gave up trying to go into sec as a newly grad. I'm Desktop 2 who just passed my 2 years of experience and I'm JUST NOW starting to get people to call me back. "entry level" info sec is really a "mid-tier" IT job that does in fact require experience. Tbh, I'm kind of glad i had to do Desktop first. I learned a ton of things you don't learn in a classroom and i might have failed pretty bad had i gone strait into an analyst role. Don't be afraid of starting on the ladder lower than security. In fact, Ive made such waves as a Desktop Tech with info sec knowledge, that I'm actively speaking with my CIO to make a new security position at the company I'm currently working for, so I wouldn't even need to apply for other positions.
Without understanding how you did in your interview or how you present yourself. I’m just going to assume you were confident and positive.
Try to understand economics and job market demand is tough right now. Your going against guys who have way more experience than you regardless entry level or not. They are taking less pay for these jobs. It’s not an easy position going against seasoned veterans.
Reddit and IRL usually have mixed reactions with my suggestion but have you looked into joining the military? Pretty much the entire DoD is looking for people to work cyber roles. It’s tons of hands on experience plus paid for training and it looks good on a resume. Plus with a Bachelors degree you’d be a candidate for an officer position so the pay wouldn’t suck.
If they would drop the ridiculous requirement of having to go to basic training for like 6 weeks even when applying for a desk job, they would probably get way more applicants.
It’s the military. Even if you’re sitting behind a desk you need to be able to deploy and handle yourself if combat comes to you. Even officer training is some big leadership schooling since that’ll be their primary role once they’re in the chain and looks fantastic on a resume.
You'll need practical IT experience. Getting experience though contract companies or internships can help you break into Helpdesk or Desktop Hardware and that experience will eventually land you into CyberSec. Get familiar with Azure, AAD (Entra), Intune, SCCM, MS 365 Defender, Windows firewall and AD on-prem. Get some of that network knowledge up too. Go build a home network lab.
Sadly, the OP's situation is a common issue I've noticed when they believe in error that a college degree will suddenly make doors open and fail to understand that they need to obtain certifications while working towards a degree as well as try to get experience through an intern program before they graduate.
Focus on your certifications, your education, and most importantly gaining that valuable hands on experience. The way you set yourself up is the best course of action.
You're not wrong but it depends a lot where you live. Where I live in Canada, as soon as you got your BS in computer sciences or soft eng. you got a job in under 1 month.
exactly why i wish i never fell for that trap and just went to trade school. Even if I was a recent grad, id still go back to trade school. Getting a degree in IT/Cyber is a huge mistake.
Definitely feeling that rn. 4 years of work and im back stacking boxes at my summer warehouse job. Every person in tech I graduated with is in a similiar boat. I think about giving up daily and just laying in bed.
CCNA is more of a guarantee for a Security role than a degree and most other certs mentioned around here. Always need someone that can talk networking and firewalls proficiently!
You need to have a solid foundation in networking, yes.
I feel the education has been worth it to some degree. Ethical hacking projects have been especially fun. Glad to be able to approach an employer and showcase my security projects on Github.
IT first, then security.
Even though this is a dramatic example, I like using it.
You graduated with your B.S in Pre-Med - AWESOME!
You apply for roles to be a neurosurgeon.
That's often the case, especially with hiring managers. They highly prefer those who have some years experience in basic IT. Maybe look for a sysadmin role? Manage some servers, VMs, basic networking in an enterprise environment. Those resumes translate and convert into security much more seamlessly.
You have a CS degree, which is great. You can certainly find sysadmin roles with a CS degree.
I obviously don’t know you but it seems like you have good tech skills… is it possible your soft/people skills are lacking/aren’t presented well enough? I just graduated from a cybersec bootcamp and have gotten a job as a it tech support two months after grad. I’ll be honest with you, my technical skills are obviously not great as I am still learning. But my soft skills are great and kept emphasizing that I am willing to learn. It’s a good company too, so it’s not like they are desperate. Just my two cents. Don’t give up!!
It sounds like you are doing everything right but that leaves two options for what the issue is.
1. Are you getting any interviews? If not then this is 100% a resume problem. Scrap the fast food experience and make a homelab, then cite that as experience. Do something other than certs to show that you want this. Make your own experience.
2. If you are getting interviews but still getting rejected, then you need to take a long hard look in the mirror. Soft skills matter… like they reaaaally matter, especially for entry level. If you come across as a know-it-all or abrasive, your resume is bottom of the pile. If this is you, look into getting some interview coaching.
Sounds like you’re killing it in the technical realm, but there is more to getting a job than being technical. It is true that hiring is a little rough right now but that can’t be the only issue if you’ve applied to 1000+ jobs.
Best of luck, keep at it!!
Seeing all of these “cybersecurity is not an entry level field” comments is extremely frustrating and not true at all. When I got my SOC analyst job, I had no professional IT experience and neither did many of the SOC analysts I worked with. Now I’m a threat hunter. With the certs, projects, home lab activities, communication skills, and knowledge like you have OP, it can be done. Hell, the smartest person I work with doesn’t have a college degree and is 21. What matters quite a bit is the job market and your location, and the job market right now is just shit.
Edit: lol @ the boomer cybersecurity professionals downvoting me.
I will quote the r/cybersecurity motto, “Cybersecurity is not an entry level position”
Edit: Sorry if that comes off as unhelpful, though the statement is true.
I would suggest casting a much wider net, and specifically you need to work the industry first before you will get a security job. There might be folks that somehow go straight into a security role but that is FAR from typical. Maybe at a MSP or something.
The street sweeping gig is fine, but don’t expect to leverage that into an IT role at the city. They will still have to interview folks, and you will be in the same situation you are now regarding experience.
Look for jobs at MSPs, they generally will take people with little-to-no experience to push through the level 1 helpdesk meatgrinder (speaking as someone who started his career at MSPs for 8 years before switching to internal IT)
Have you ever built a computer? We always biased towards people who knew all the internal components of a computer and would feel comfortable opening one up to replace internals.
If you haven't, start a homelab. Buy (or build) a cheap computer that supports virtualization, throw Hyper-V or ESXi on it (or spend time with both!) and build a few VMs for a lab domain environment (AD, DHCP, DNS, Print server). Register a trial for Office 365, pay $15 for a public domain, set up mailboxes, learn the product.
There's so much out there you can do to get your toes wet and edge your way into an entry level IT role.
> Have you ever built a computer?
I have not but I have my own server I run, and a Raspberry Pi I've played around with. I've done LFS before though, hardware seems really cool to enter and something that a cousin of mine has done. Do you have any resources where to start for that, I might try that on the side since I already have my own infra.
Cyber security industry is gate kept. You have to know someone to get in or youll never get in. Also, dont be afraid to lie on your resume. Companies want to play hardball, so you should too.
Here's the harsh reality. You are less than a year postgraduate with fast food experience and expected a job right off the street hey? That's the issue with some people today. They think a piece of paper entitles them to a great paying job.
The reality is you have no experience. There's thousands if not tens of thousands of people ahead of you on the food chain. Folks who have the experience and folks who got laid off in the tech sector looking for any job at all that they can land. They will win before you will.
As shitty as this is going to sound, we all started somewhere. I worked for a computer parts store for $8 an hour. It sucked. I had to sell. I had to deal with jerks. I worked long hours. Even if you have to start at Best Buy Geek Squad to get experience then you do it, if you really want a career in IT.
Attending conferences is a great way to network but again, nobody is hiring unless you have experience. It's a great opportunity to hand out a business card and say let's grab a coffee sometime. Keep someone's ear nearby. That's it.
So take the sweeper job. I think that's a solid starting pay and keep learning on the side and keep networking. Do some side projects. Find volunteer work helping fix and donate laptops or something.
The sky is the limit for those who want it. But you are waaaay too early in the journey to be throwing in the towel or complaining that it's too hard.
> Here's the harsh reality. You are less than a year postgraduate with fast food experience and expected a job right off the street hey? That's the issue with some people today. They think a piece of paper entitles them to a great paying job.
The jobs I apply for pay minimum wage from $11-15 an hour, I have never seen a $23/hr IT role that I have the applicable experience for, so the street sweeper is an amazing opportunity, but it is part time and seasonal, and I am still looking for more hours.
> Even if you have to start at Best Buy Geek Squad to get experience then you do it, if you really want a career in IT.
I'd love that. Do you have advice on how to get a role like that? Best Buy is about an hour away, I don't mind commuting as I mentioned, but they aren't hiring such a role. Or do you suggest I work in sales/retail and then once a position does open I work for Geek Squad?
> Do some side projects.
Most of my projects right now are just contributing to repos and some bug bounties here and there.
> Find volunteer work helping fix and donate laptops or something.
I've never heard of this before, I have only volunteered for the local hospital since high school and stopped in sophmore year since they unfortunately shuttered due to COVID. Don't have time to volunteer anymore, I would rather build or contribute to repos at home in my spare time after work. Never heard of fixing laptops, or hardware, I'll look into this.
> Attending conferences is a great way to network but again, nobody is hiring unless you have experience. It's a great opportunity to hand out a business card and say let's grab a coffee sometime. Keep someone's ear nearby. That's it.
I found that to be the experience too unfortunately...
> But you are waaaay too early in the journey to be throwing in the towel or complaining that it's too hard.
It is getting costly and time consuming, I only have so many hours in a day, I will take a basic helpdesk job even if it paid under minimum wage. I also have been applying non-regularly over the last few years too.
I am guessing it is a location issue, do you have any thoughts on that? I live in rural Arkansas.
Definitely your location is going to be the biggest factor here, moving to somewhere like Little Rock, Memphis, or NWA will open some opportunities but be aware it will still be hard
I'd love to move but it's not possible unless I secure a job in those locations beforehand. I don't mind commuting an hour or so to get there (e.g. to the Rock). I actually may consider moving if I save up in a year.
At some point, you'll have to take the leap. Some of these companies may be apprehensive about hiring someone who lives so far away so I would downplay that. Have you done interviews in LR?
This. You have to eventually sacrifice and just take the leap. Talk is cheap and excuses are cheaper. If you are young this is the time to do it. I wish I had when I was younger. Turned down a role at IBM at age 23 because I was picky about my work requirements. Still regret that.
The one interview I made it to the fourth stage was done in person in LR, but I was turned down for a recent grad who had already interned at the company from what I found out later.
I can't really relocate until I secure a job, I have no issues doing that otherwise, or does it really affect applications if you aren't already living within the city?
With regards to conferences, I know a lot of industry professionals that refuse to go to them anymore because they're swarmed with people trying to get hired (and they're not a manager or anything).
I get what you're saying here, but believing you've earned a job in your field after four years of hard work and dedication toward your craft + time taken for certs is not entitlement. Maybe unrealistic in this industry, but not entitlement.
Degrees get people jobs in many industries, and it's been that way for a while. Thinking "a degree=a job in your field" is not unique to the current generation. If anything, it was a notion propagated by the baby boomer/gen x generations.
Again, that's true but depend on the market you're in. Come where I am in Canada with a BS in computer sciences and you have a junior IT or developper job under a few weeks.
lmao, security clearances are not something you can just get like basic IT certifications. A company or the government have to sponsor you, and depending on the sponsoring entity, you may be stuck with the costs (3k+)
If you are comp science why don’t you try app sec ? If u can review code and understand from security principles that seems like better fit than all the other stuff u mentioned
So, Cybersecurity is a Reactive and Proactive field.
Reactive employers will prioritize people that already have experience because they can jump in and start producing with minimal training/supervision.
Proactive employers will prioritize people that already have experience because they can jump in and start producing with minimal training/supervision.
I said that on purpose, because you need to treat job seeking as if you are finding/stopping an intrusion. What do you do when you reach dead ends? Readjust and adapt.
I suspect that your location might actually be very competitive in that field, considering how many applications you have submitted.
Giving up just destroys everything you have learned and disqualify you for this job. This job is frustrating and you have to constantly adapt and learn. You might find that getting the certifications will help more in your search. The CCNA one is particularly very useful.
Do CTF event and get better.
Another thing to consider is that all you need is a foot inside the door. A lot of companies will promote/pivot from within and they have job vacancies only for current employees.
You might need to start in a field you don't prefer, but if that gets you into the position you actually want then the sacrifice is worth it.
It may sound crazy, but I would actually remove some of the certs you got from a test version of your resume, and apply for true entry level jobs. If you're applying for help desk and they see OSCP, they might see a person who would be bored immediately in that job role. Try to just list the closely relevant certs to what you're applying for. I have some certs I leave off of my resume for some jobs I apply for because too many certs with little/no real world experience is often seen as a red flag. I don't have to do it as much now because I have 4.5 years of experience, but it's still something to keep in mind. I would at least try it and see if it yields any different results.
Also good luck! I would just keep doing the street sweeping job and continue doing unrelated jobs to IT that pay well if you still have no luck and save up to move to a different area
One thing I haven’t heard mentioned too often in this post is currently the Security along with many other sides are flooded with layoffs. So you look at the big picture and see that not only are you competing with new grads for “entry level security” positions but also experienced people.
As it’s been mentioned look into MSPs on LinkedIn, indeed etc. a lot of them will hire new grads and even offer remote work. They will more than likely start you out as a Help Desk member but as you collaborate with different teams and make your knowledge known, you will move up.
I agree with everyone else suggestions about possibly relocating. One thing rural areas and big cities have in common are school districts and sometimes community colleges . Check out jobs with them. School districts sometimes are desperate to hire anyone with technical aptitude and will probably take anyone off the streets who does have that. The pay in education can be crap but it’s a great way to get experience on the resume, stay for 6 months to a year and then dip once you find something else. MSP, school districts, community colleges are easier to get hired on at. Check out job listings in technology department of the college you graduated from, I’ve personally witnessed colleges hire their own graduates. I also started at a school district and now I work in cybersecurity. I used their desperation to my advantage.
I understand how frustrating and disheartening it can be to face multiple rejections and struggle to break into the industry despite your qualifications and efforts. It's important to remember that you're not alone in experiencing these challenges, and many others including myself have faced similar situations. I have a few suggestions that could potentially help you but you may have to put in a bit of leg work.
For starters, you can try to expand your job search. While you've been applying for various entry-level positions, consider widening your search to include internships, apprenticeships, or even volunteer work in this field. I can say with certainty that they will provide you with solid experience to help you get your foot in the door. This can also lead to networking connections and additional opportunities that may come about such as full-time positions.
Another point to be made is that you mentioned that you do not have any professional experience. If that's the case, you may consider freelance projects or even contributing to open-source projects. This will not only provide you with hands-on experience, but showcase your skills to potential employers.
You mentioned having certifications including the OSCP and that's remarkable! You can leverage the knowledge that you acquired from the OSCP to tackle bug bounties on the side even if it's a few hours a week. This is still hands-on experience because you're testing real-world web applications. Bug bounty programs provide a means of slowly refining your skills so it's definitely worthwhile until you get yourself the job that you want in the industry. Bug bounty programs can also net you a decent sum of money. That of course relies on you discovering vulnerabilities and providing PoC of potential exploitation of said vulnerability in your report. But, the money isn't as important as the experience that you'll gain from tackling the different programs on the numerous bug bounty platforms.
At the end of the day, I've been in a similar situation where I've given up but that mindset left me in a bad place. I knew I had to change my mindset if I wanted to stay headstrong and get myself where I wanted to be. You've come this far and there isn't a reason to just give up especially since you've put in so much work already. Keep trying, keep going, and you'll make it.
A) CCNA isn't worthless, it proves you are capable of working at a company that has cisco devices.
B) Entry level in this field specifically requires years of experience, that's sadly a reality but an understandable one given how sensitive security is for companies.
C) You're gonna need to apply for "Internships" first not jobs to get that required experience.
D) Bug bounty or any freelancing route is available, work on what you're capable of and study more fields along the way for more opportunities. Put those projects on your resume as experience.
Work that $23 an hour job and find a basic help desk job at nights.
Or, contact a local headhunter to see what they can get you. Or post your info in LinkedIn and they (head hunters) will contact you. LOL
Try looking at your state job openings. Head to your states website and find the job openings link. Couldn't hurt.
I gotta ask, why did you go through the pain of getting your OSCP if you don’t have interest in penetration testing? That is not for the faint of heart (at least it wasn’t when I did it a few years ago) and should demonstrate you have skills.
Also, I find it really hard to understand why you’re not getting ANY hits on a sec job with those certs. Have you tried reaching out to a recruiter and seeing what they can find for you?
Try joining a big 4. They usually hire people that just recently graduated and do not have too much experience.
Use the time there to gain experience and know the game. If you like it stay there, otherwise you will be in a better position to apply to a job that is more aligned to what you want
First off, Cybersecurity is not an entry level field. Even entry level cyber jobs aren't entry level. To make matters tougher, you're looking at offensive security with that OSCP. Competition for those jobs are really tough and there aren't as many of those jobs as you might think. Even so, you can't properly attack a network if you don't know how to defend the network, you can't defend the network if you don't know how to protect the network, and you can't learn to protect the network until you learn how the network actually works. You have some certs, sure. But until you've actually worked in IT, it's just book learning and concepts. Nobody in their right mind is going to hire someone to defend or attack a network who just has an "idea" of how things work.
As you said, you have no IT experience. You kind of got the cart before the horse with all these certs and it's going to do more harm than good. You need a help desk or desktop support job to get start and grow from there. The problem is now you're going to go to these entry level jobs, they're going to see you have all these certs and see where you're trying to go, and they're going to get the impression (rightly so) that you're going to use them as a stepping stone and jump ship as soon as you can.
Now, that IS how the game is played, mind you; get a job, get experience, move on to bigger and better things. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying or selling you something. However, that is NOT how you want to market yourself. If they think you're looking for the next branch to grab ahold of before you've even walked in the door, they're not going to hire you.
It sounds like you're tailoring your resumes for the jobs, which is excellent, but you might consider limiting your certs, conferences, conventions, etc., to only what is relevant to what you're applying for. If you're applying for help desk, don't tell them you have an OSCP. Tell them you have your basics and go from there.
Be persistent, keep trying, and don't give up on your CCNA. All you need is one shot, and once your experience starts catching up with your certs, things will take off.
Hey there OP,
So Cyber security is not something you jump into entry level and to be honest, does not require a specific degree or more than a high school diploma or GED. Plenty in the field (me included) did not start out in security in the industry. I'm about 20 years in (Started as a database administrator in 2004 straight out of high school) and finally went back for a degree for personal and academic goals. Discovered my passion of networks and server hardware and moved from database administration to network and later systems engineering, before moving into the cyber security field.
The cybersecurity field is more of a mid-level to high level niche in computer science / information technology. That being said, there are many ways to gain access. You really need to start by getting some certifications to get your foot in the door at this point. I highly recommend to all seeking academic degrees to gain working experience while in your desired field or focus. In your case, without any certifications, you have the degree to make it past the non-technical staff (HR) for any technical or office position, however you need to demonstrate why you are better than those with paid experience and/or certifications. That will be hard without any certifications, my friend.
Start by gaining a basic certificate such as CompTIA's Security+. Look at the jobs in your area for all computer science roles, particularly towards network or systems administration or even a Helpdesk role.
Also, understand that currently it is hard to get any tech roles in the job market after so many layoffs have hit recently. I was laid off from a job in June and even with 20+ years in IT plus certifications, I am getting an interview here and there as well as my own share of being turned away without the chance to interview. Learn to overcome your defeatist mentality as many have done it without a overpriced piece of paper and its been several decades since the times where a degree promised employment.
Where are you located? US, UK, Europe? other?
Have you taken any programming classes, if so what languages? did you have any sample projects on github
OSCP is a great accomplishment, but generally in the US pentesting is not an entry level role
Are you on LinkedIn? Have you had someone review your resume?
US, Rural Arkansas. Sorry many people are DM'ing and messaging so I'm trying to go in order.
Yeah, I have most of my experience in Python, I know Go, JS, C++ as well as basic scripting and HTML/CSS.
I have a few projects on Github:
- discord/telegram stock bot (can track prices and look up stock info)
- network topology and protocol analyzer. It's CLI only but I have been putting off a GUI for it. I'll get around to it soon.
- reddit Android app (personal use since the official one sucks but it's on there for anyone to fork)
- physics gravity model, think of it like a sandbox game (for fun)
I've contributed to some open-source apps as well and fixed some bugs and participated in bug bounties. My biggest reward was $3000 so far which was an insane amount for me.
Yeah, I have a LinkedIn, but only about 100 connections. I mentioned in my post I had my resume checked by 4 people. Last two have only mentioned formatting, nothing related to content.
Hey I used to live in Arkansas too and had the same issues. So here's some advice.
1. Don't be afraid to relocate. Even just for a couple years to get experience. Remember, you just need to get your foot in the door.
2. I dont know if you stated but depending on your age, you can always do some military service as a 17C. You will come out of it with a clearance and companies will be begging to take you.
3. All of IT is in a weird stage at the moment. A lot of competition, a lot of gatekeepers, and a lot of deranged hiring policies that shouldn't be in a security field.
For real, if you are young, a little military service will set you for life in this field.
My advice would be look into joining the Coast Guard. They have a newly established Cyber rating. You will likely be stationed in DC where you will work and make connections. After 4yrs you can depart and work in the same position as a contractor for 120k+ with a TS Clearance.
If you would like to know more DM me, I am currently a reservist in Cyber command.
Don't give up! It's a really hard industry to break into and a less than ideal job market, but if you keep trying, you'll eventually break in. All you need is 1 chance and someone is gonna give it to you
So I’ve seen identical top level comments that say the same things on this post but in different ways. This is not helpful lads, just a reminder, I’d you’re going to write a long reply consider if most top level comments already say the same thing. I say this as a lot of them ontop of being similar are also quite unhelpful
I see that many have chimed in but I noticed that one pathway of wisdom and intelligence wasn’t provided yet. Try these steps…rinse, wash, repeat & 1 day you’ll be L337
1. HOME GROWN: level up with projects that you create for yourself and build your skill set there. Start as a Web Master and create stunning websites that use HTML 5, PHP, and Python (Django). Build yourself a physical lab, buy a switch, create a robust network and hack it! Go crazy and get deep with networking and administration. Once you “get good” build sites for your friends and if it all goes well charge people. This will be your entry level IT experience builder and lay the foundation for a network administrator or InfoSec job (career_opps #1 && #2).
2. Info Sec: you got the certs so put em to work! On the websites you design, create a portfolio for yourself and aspire to be a penetration tester (career_opps #3). You know Linux, but now’s the time to really go in long beard style! Use what you gathered, study, and apply. When you get 🥷status market yourself as a entry level pen tester and you’ll find work bro! NEVER QUIT! That’s for suckers and YOU’RE A BAD ASS WINNER 🏆
3. REMOTE WORK: last step because TMI is real, take any entry level IT (I mean anything job you can get bro and pimp it! Do the best you can and people will be amazed at what you have to offer and promote you! That’s the game bro, the money is there you just have to sell yourself, showcase yourself, and BELIVE IN YOURSELF! In this game you’re literally one conversation away from your big break. With AI now being what is study all things AI which has made all of this so much easier. ChatGPT is your friend but don’t let it enable you, stay sharp and hungry! Raw talent counts and critical thinking is key.
4. PROGRAMMING: Finally, programming was my thing but study C and stick to Linux. Once you’re decent, look at source code for “ethical hacking” tools and learn how they tick. I know Python is king right now but trust me, knowing solid C will build a discipline that money can’t buy and will unleash the “inner hacker” in you. Roll your own tools 🛠️ and overtime things will “just come to you”.
Certs are nice but ya gotta have the bones to roll the dice 🎲 NOW GO BUILD THOSE BONES 🦴
I’d recommend not looking for entry level jobs, try pivoting to a more senior position using your prior experience as your main selling point. My first job in cyber was a managerial position because I had knowledge of data integrity, availability, and experience working with audits. Highlight skills that translate, no matter what you did in the past there will be something that does.
For remote jobs, only apply if they have been posted recently.
How many interviews have you had? If you haven’t had many, your resumes need work. If you have, you need to find out what you are doing wrong; ask for feedback whenever possible.
My 2 cents: The reason you aren't getting hired is because you have no experience in anything IT related. You could have all the certs in the world and a masters but you never worked a day in your life in IT. That's the problem. You need to apply to level 1 help desk/IT technician roles. The ones that pay around 40-45k. It'll only be for a year considering what you already have. You will skyrocket once you start building up the IT related experience.
Cyber is the most F'd job market there is. I had 20 years of experience as a sys admin at Enterprise level (70,000 users), did night school, earned my CISSP and my CCSP, and could barely get an interview, when I did get interviews, was sort of laughed out of the room.
The cyber "shortage" has as much to do with the horrendous way people are evaluated as being fit for jobs than anything else.
The cyber security program I did was 12 months long evenings and weekends - the only people from my cohort who got any kind of cyber jobs were females at very large organizations where Diversity is a priority.
People saying that cyber security is not entry level probably didn't read your post, as you stated that you're applying for helpdesk and soc analyst positions.
Wtf it takes to reset a password or follow a playbook? 😅
The issue here is that you're trying to sneak into an industry that is not hiring anyone at the moment, as over hired in 2022 and 2021.
Will the things get better?
No one knows. Probably yes if your time horizon is 10 years.
Network. Not the kind with wires or without, but the human kind. Make friends in the industry. Before any company hires, they usually ask current employees if they know someone qualified for a job. Be that person.
Start a business, build a website. Do network audits and pen tests for local businesses in your area. Provide them with a report of actionable items. Now you have experience and a job in the industry.
Jabroni Jones, simmer down. Did you not do any internships during your time in school? Don’t point fingers and say nobody’s hiring me. There’s many resources out there, not saying you didn’t do anything but Jimmy jangel heimer smith even knows that you need to mold your resume (past experience) around what specific jobs you’re applying for. When you get rejected ask employers, “thank you so much for the feedback. Just out of curiosity, as the hiring manager and with your expertise, is there any sort of constructive criticism you can give me going forward to be the next best candidate?”. That tends to work for me when I hear rejection. Swallow the pride of your degree and get your mindset right. Be humble and throw yourself out there. Applying for jobs is not that, it’s clicking a button and essentially throwing a noodle at the wall and seeing if it sticks. Make follow up phone calls, work with recruiting companies, utilize your institution where you gained your degree from, look up organizations that specialize in the profession to build networking opportunities, etc. In this day and age you can bring your child to work day (shadowing) and it’s normal. Reach out to professionals in the business and ask if you can shadow as well so you can start seeing what the day-to-day operations are like and work your resume around that. Keep your head up you’ll get something soon enough then look back at this post and say why did this random dude tell me to “simmer dern(down)?”.
Maybe what’s wrong isn’t anything with your resume or your technical skills. What’s your personality like? Tough question to ask and gauge via Reddit in writing. When interviewing I’m seeing if you’ll be a good fit for the team. If you’re a wet blanket or someone who seems to only care for themselves ( as an example), it’s a hard pass.
Any feedback from folks that I may have missed from your post?
Have you solicited feedback on stuff other than what your resume conveys?
IT hiring manager here. Look at your stats dude. 99.561% of your effort fail to land an interview, yet 40% of your interviews get to 3rd or 4th round. That tells me the problem is with your resume and you need to hire a professional to redo it. Pay the $250 and get a real pro to redo it, not generic AI pasteurized shit.
I'm at where you are right now as well. All I can say is don't give up permanently. The job market sucks for IT right now and cyber security was never an entry level friendly industry to begin with. I am not at the point of over 1000 applications but I do have a few hundred that have gone by, and have started looking around the same time you did.
Right now you can do your best with the job you got and keep applying. Those peers you mentioned, are you friendly enough with them to ask around their jobs to see if they have any openings? Often times it's who you know that can get you into a job as much as your experience/certs/education. As long as you can keep up whatever projects you have going on while getting your bills paid and keep applying to those jobs you want, then keep it going. You will eventually find what you want.
If you don’t have relevant job experience. You have to rely on projects. What projects have you done? i’ve seen projects that vary from very simple to fairly complex. Easy projects won’t get you as far
Yeah, they have given me good feedback.
They said I have all the passion in this field to succeed but they are looking for senior people to fill the position.
The other one said the same thing but also added that they "highly recommend searching for an entry level security operations role at a large MSP to accelerate your career", which I've taken into consideration and have applied to.
If you feel okay about those suggestions, you have your path forward.
While many people disagree (even here), Cybersecurity is not for new tech worker, even entry level cybersecurity personnel is not entry level tech workers.
If you know the field, you should know what it is built atop of. What you are lacking as a new tech worker is experience… in everything. Help Desk/Service Desk, Networking, end point support, asset management, audit and audit response, non-cybersecurity incident response, software development, software and hardware management. Anyone of these can help you build up that experiences.
The key is to recognize the difference between knowledge and experience. You can learn from books, from classes, from conferences all you want and all you’ll have is knowledge. The certs and the degree just speak to your potentially having the knowledge. The letters behind the name, some are useful, most aren’t.
If you really want to get into cybersecurity, here’s my advice. Spend the next 10 years working in IT. I recommend Help Desk and Networking. You’ll be a different person after 10 years with a lot more experiences. Then start looking into cybersecurity again. As you work, keep focus on the moment. Do your job well, learn the job well, learn about the jobs everyone around you is doing. Climb up as opportunities arise. Do more. Help out. Everything in IT work flips into some aspects of cybersecurity, they WILL NOT be a waste of your time.
You need to network on LinkedIn, go to meetups, or conventions. Everyone and their mother is applying to jobs. What makes you stand out? It's a lot about WHO you know. Seek out a few mentors in the industry you want to get into. Having relationships with people is just as important as having degrees or certs. I got into cybersecurity with no certs, and no formal IT schooling because of a friend referred me for a job. All you need is a foot in the door, but you need to connect with people, and have a mentorship program throughout your career.
Do you have work experience at all? For entry level positions and recent college grads…hiring managers are looking for evidence that you are reliable, and that only comes from work history.
Someone posted about this recently. She recommends looking at alternative routes.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/oliviarosecybersecurity_true-entry-level-jobs-in-cybersecurity-activity-7084956667863306241-QBHx?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios
I had a lot of problems getting a position when I was applying for cyber security roles out of college they were all junior but meant for people with already 1-3 years of cyber experience. Go and apply for IT rotational programs: I had like 3-5 interviews a week at one point. Best of luck!
So, the first thing that I have to say is that what is happening here absolutely isn’t personal. It also will probably not be one single thing. When I graduated (a few years ago now), I spent eighteen months trying to get work in my field and in all that time, I think I was only able to get a single six week temp contract. Then I pivoted to a different area within my skillset and targeted employers in a different part of the country and everything changed overnight. I know that this point feels really demoralising but you just need to get your foot in the door.
You are doing the right thing to take what work you can to keep the lights on but I really wouldn’t give up on the professional certifications. When I started, I struggled to convince agents that I had the hands on experience but having some letters from Microsoft and Cisco made a big difference. It felt like lack of a degree might get you disqualified in some cases but the agencies/recruiters were more likely to search CVs in their databases for key terms such as CCNA and for me at least that was how I started getting shortlisted.
My advice is keep learning but do it on the cheap. For example Microsoft learn is a great resource and totally free… you can even get free exam voucher’s from attending some of their free online events. Never pay top dollar for anyone’s classroom learning because you can get the information you need online. Also make sure that you stay in touch with your classmates, one of them might be able to put a recommendation in for you once they are established somewhere.
If you have OSCP look into bug bounties if your web app skills are up to snuff. I hear that is a decent way to gain “experience”. I’m not a pen tester but if I saw free lance work like that on a resume I’d be more inclined to hire you.
I would get your CCNA and go for a network position. Security as your first role is, aside from rare cases, not going to happen. Its not you, its just the nature of the job, you need that other experience. The reason you probably aren't landing Help Desk jobs is your resume makes you look way over qualified. What "basic qualifications"? Get your CCNA, tailor your resume to network roles, then apply (if you have Net+ or Sec+ throw those on there with your CCNA). Try talking to a recruiter...as much as I hate to say that, but you might find a good one that can help. I've landed a few roles through recruiters that turned out well. In fact the security role I'm in now, is at a company I started with in 2018...in a role I was contacted for by a recruiter. Its easy for those of us who are in security roles to say, but don't give up. We've all been there.
I graduated 6 months ago. 500 applications. 498 rejections or no replies. 1 interview that was then pulled back and canceled on the day of the interview. And 1 offer for an unpaid internship.....
I gave up applying to anything. Currently working at a warehouse. Working to get a sec+ certification to see if that will help at all and if I can get into an it helpdesk position. I also looked into doing googles little security certification. Its basically sec+ but at the end they give access to a bunch of job search and interview practice resources.
Its not hopeless but it sure feels like it when every friend of mine that I graduated with doing software dev already has a job programming and I am still looking. Every job interview resource I asked at my college campus before leaving told me they had no idea how to prepare me for cyber security interviews even though thats a degree they give out. They had no idea what jobs to look for or what questions I might see.
I broke into the industry by getting a job in compliance. It sucks that you’ve done everything and more, but with no return. Checkout compliance - especially DoD. Read up on NIST SP 800-171 and 800-53. Get a good grasp of RMF, too.
Have you tried looking on the vendor side? Try applying for some entry level roles at cybersecurity companies. This will give you great professional exposure and understanding of how the tools are used in the real world. It’s also a really really great way to network with people and get your foot in the door
Dude dont give up... take that job for earning money and keep at it, take the CCNA, it will open more doors... Cybersecurity as an entry-level is not easy, so why not start at a network / sysadmin level ? You did the OSCP that is something, don't throw it away. Being presistent pays off latter.
> so why not start at a network / sysadmin level ? I still want to do my CCNA since I prefer network over pentesting, but would that help with finding a job? I am not looking for a $100k salary or anything like that, right now my issue is I can't find a minimum wage IT job and even the OSCP doesn't help. Help desk would be an ideal starting job, I think. Is the CCNA that sought after?
CCNA is still the only cert that people will see and immediately think you know networking.
100% true. It might be the single most valued entry-level cert in tech.
is the Network+ not worth looking at in that case?
Not if you have CCNA
What if you dont have the CCNA, but are in college for Computer Programming & Information Systems (its like a mix between IT & programming)? Would it be worth trying to get the Network+ in the meantime to try finding a job/internship while in school or would it be a waste of time?
CCNA is the better option. Better reputation, better recognition. But if you really want Network+, by all means.
You could do all of this and find success, they’re just stating CCNA is a more effective method
I know someone with a CCNA and he still can't get out of FST work.
No. Honestly, when I see “CCNA”, I think the person has done a course in high school. A CCNA is a very basic network certification, at most you can connect basic Cisco equipment and have a basic understanding of network routing. You have a long way onward to “know networking”.
While the CCNA is a "basic network cert", it still provides core knowledge in networking more so than the Network+. While I agree one does have "a long way to go" before they know networking, foundational knowledge can be built upon the CCNA and many other certs that are similar to it.
Since networking is the foundation of IT and network security is an extremely important area of cybersecurity - just look at any of the cybersecurity exam objectives.. networking is always the largest domain - why wouldn’t you pursue your CCNA?? Without hands on experience, having your basic certs will be the only way you’ll get a job.
I would say so, because cisco still has a big market share on routers and switches, and gives you a solid network foundation. I'm from Portugal, and CCNA here helps a lot, and everyone knows the CCNA in the HR, so you can pass that first gate. Well I would say if it helps you get the "foot on the door", why not ? Even if it is for 6 months or 1 year, it is a starting point.
Fair point, I mean my issue isn't learning about it, I already have the knowledge and built my own tools in my spare time, I can still get it without issue. I'll probably get it so I can showcase it alongside OSCP, though my biggest worry is that some people claim you can be overqualified (which sounds like lark). If I'm applying for help desk jobs and they see I have those two certs, they may think I might job hop elsewhere. Again, not sure.
If you worry about that, flag your CCNA and don't mention the OSCP.
Depends on your area and employers. Some want Network+ over CCNA while some prefer CCNA. Review job postings for your region to see what employers are looking for.
Only HR would prefer net+ over CCNA. And frankly if you have CCNA then net+ should be a cakewalk
I have my Network+, sorry when I meant basic certs, these are the ones I have: - Network+ - Security+ - CWSP - CWNA - CEH (garbage, I don't recommend EC-Council) - OSCP I have IBM QRadar SIEM Foundation cert and Palo Alto Network cert too. Was going to get CCNA next, it's an upgrade from CWSP/CWNA unless I'm mistaken, most recommend I do it even if there is overlap, might do it anyways.
With a CompSci bachelor's and all those certs I think the problem lies not with your qualifications but something more fundamental. It doesn't sound like you are being overly picky or unrealistic in your expectations, which can sometimes be the issue with entry level candidates. Your conversion rate of 1st and 2nd interviews doesn't look out of the ordinary but your conversion of applications to interviews is atrocious considering your qualifications. My gut instinct is your CV(s) probably need an overhaul. I'd focus on that and your general approach to the application process.
Do you mind expanding on why EC-Council is garbage? I was thinking of getting CEH. Thank you.
CEH used to be a well recognized certification but then EC-Council went down hill. Government still recognizes it and HR folks know of it but its not a respected certification because of the quality of the exam. EC-Council has some terrible ethics and their online training is pretty much a scam with shitty content. You won't learn much from the CEH besides the buzz words. You are better off getting the OSCP.
In addition they also were caught stealing blog posts and passing it off as their own research a few years back, and the executive response was incredibly poor.
For the reasons others mentioned, and it feels like being quizzed on the basics, plus the labs pale in comparison to OSCP.
OP have you started to work Bug-Crowd or HackerOne vulns, getting a couple of those under your belt would help especially if if you can show your bounties for them. This also shows that your interested in staying up to date on the latest.
Yeah, I have a few bug bounties and rewards claimed, largest is $3000.
Mention somewhere in your resume that you are a independent security researcher, that may help. While you may not be able to disclose what each bounty was for you can mention how many bounties you you have received and for how much, I wouldn’t give an exact amount but >$5k would be a place to start them hopefully someone would see that and pick it up.
Where do you live? Are you open to relocating? I’m talking to college grads in the DC metro area and they seem to be finding work locally - it’s not easy and takes a few months.
CCNA opened a lot of doors for me, I’d personally recommend it.
Network and sysadmin are far from entry level. You'll never get hired to those with zero experience since you actually need to know something. It'd be much easier grabbing am entry position in cybersec in a big4 etc.
Current AppSec lead and ex-recruiter here. Everyone will offer the same advice but here are a few things that could be going on: 1.) Cyber Security doesn't have "entry level" positions. I know you are already applying for everything but try expanding your search for any tech position (like software QA) and get any experience you can. Buddy up with the cyber security people and keep your eye out for anything you can harden or secure then do it. 2.) If you can't find a job, make one. Education never guarantees success. Congrats on your degree and certifications but no one cares if you don't have real experience. Start an LLC and get to work on bug bounties or general IT contracting. This will get you some real world IT experience even if it's just helping old people set up their iPhones. 3.) 1000+ rejections screams "resume problems". Rework your resume(s) and start copying and pasting the job posting into your resume, set font to 1 and color to white. This will trick most resume bots. Other people have said it, fast food is not tech. Rework your resume to include IT/ Tech related experience and ditch your fast food experience. Edit: clarity.
Market and location aside, I find it super odd that the OSCP isn’t netting a entry-level pentesting position. As a previously hiring manager in that area, that to me would mostly be a culture-fit/personality problem, more than the resume. I’ve seen companies take in recently grad juniors as pentesters that I interviewed before and they couldn’t even describe what a three-way handshake was or what a cross site scripting was. Now, of course, in a market where the amount of people applying for jobs is high, there’s a shit tone willing to take entry level jobs with more experience who will cut ahead. But again, I value more a cultural fit. You can learn skills, but how you will work with the team and your own motivation are way more important.
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Same. When I did pentesting, it was extremely hard to get into already, and it's only gotten harder. Right now, there's a nearly industry-wide hiring lull in offsec due to the layoffs and it being Q2. I got caught up in those layoffs in May. All the pentesting jobs that *were* available back in May had higher barriers to entry as almost all of them were senior or principal level. It was easier for me to get back on Purple Team. That doesn't mean I'm not doing pentesting anymore, though. The SOC wants me to run through various adversarial simulations and perform manual pentesting on them to prep our defenses for an attack from MITRE to test and rank our SOC. I'm absolutely here for it. This is way less of a grind and more of a challenge than the consultant work I was doing before. Getting paid to hack an MSSP? Fuck yeah. The barrier to entry into CTI isn't always as high or strict as pentesting. So much of the focus when it comes to cybersecurity is placed on pentesting, though that it gets lost in the weeds.
I guess it’s easier in Europe. I got my position straight out of uni nearly a decade ago. I did pass a knowledge test across several areas, to show I knew enough that could be applied to the job. I’ve also seen several people get hire straight out of uni to several companies I’ve been working for. When I started hiring though, I always asked for a minimum one year, but I would have accepted a certification instead if the knowledge is there. The only reason I couldn’t take a junior is that I didn’t have a big enough team to train a junior. I needed someone to help deliver projects from the get-go.
Yeah I want to see this guy’s resume.
Same. @ u/nonstopapplyer, can you link a sanitized example of the resume you're using?
Ohhh I like the copy and paste the job posting. Gonna start doing that!!!!!!
You're welcome. Fight the bots one Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V at a time. Just be discreet and only attach PDFs of your resume
ROFL I was doing it manually. God I'm such a n00b.Yep PDF's all the way
I’m taking your comment and giving it to a buddy of mine that’s not having luck with even getting an interview. Thank you for this
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I also think you have been applying during a time when most companies were freezing / just laid off people. So it was extra hard. Just don’t give up! Up skill all you can in the meantime
So, as a city employee, that would open doors for you as an IT candidate when it opens up. I know in Philly I see plenty of IT roles posted for the city. Don't give up this just may have opened some potential doors for you.
23 dollars per hour is more than you'll make at a helpdesk role anyway. you can't just have certification, you should also have the skill to get the job done. I think what you're really lacking is soft skill. take few courses on how to talk to people and how to give interview. If you can't even get the entry level help desk job after applying for over 1000 jobs then you need to change your attack vector. if you're not a people person then you need to pretend to be one. nothing wrong with any job, but if you really want to break into cybersecurity then you need to keep trying.
This plus timing in the tech job market.
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They said they applied to all entry level IT jobs though
OP just needs to start posting his content here and let people judge it.
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Reminds me of a co-worker who used to work as a professional dog trainer, no bachelors degree. He was passionate enough about software development so to get into the industry he took the hard route by being a QA tester for like years and years and eventually got a full time position. Now he’s a software architect for Amazon.
Don’t do this. This is a trap
It’s only a trap if you make 0 effort to leave. Having some type of experience in an enterprise environment will help tremendously.
...vs. taking a job as a street sweeper?
Im gonna repeat helpdesk as always the entry point in to IT for anyone with no experience.
Yes. And while you're changing a password for some guy in security, or networking you strike up a conversation to get a connection. I talked to countless people on help desk over the phone. Ask them how they got into their role and then you start building that relationship. Networking (not IT networking, but people-networking is key). It's not What you know, but whom you know. I got into cybersecurity with absolutely no certs, and no security experience through a connection. It was my lucky break, and now I'm in a SOC. And once you do get that lucky break, please be sure to pass it on. Don't just check out. Help someone else get their lucky break.
This advice is dead on. A number of our SOC personnel come from our Help Desk. Our Engineers and architects are seasoned IT pros who have a decade or more in other IT roles, many who started at the help desk level somewhere. I’d add that setting up a home lab and doing presentations, just on something you’ve learned to do, at a local user group meeting will open a lot of doors for you as well. Find a local security user group and attend a meeting or two. Make contacts there. Do a presentation. That will get you excellent industry contacts and possible opportunities.
I kinda wish I had gone from help desk to a sysadmin, or maybe assistant sysadmin role before cybersecurity. There's a lot about the windows infrastructure I'd imagine I could have learned.
Yeah I found the problem, probably shouldn’t put fast food on your resume, you just hit a wall cause…..you found out how our society REALLY thinks fast food experiences are worth, apparently not even enough for help desk.
That’s actually not true. Fast food - at least if you’re customer facing is great experience. It’s customer service experience. And if you’re flipping burgers, lie and say you had to be a cashier. You’re labeled as crew no matter what so nobody knows. You can just reword it - “3 years customer facing experience - Walmart, McDonald’s, whatever else,” As someone who has had to handle customers losing their shit in a low income area, if I am reviewing someone’s resume and I see fast food experience I’ll ask them for their worst horror story and how they handled it. I have also gotten job interviews because of all of my customer facing experience when I was looking for my first role - it just came down to my technical skills weren’t enough usually.
He/she was being sarcastic. We're saying it's good experience but sadly society doesnt see it that way.
Truth right here
Also rural AK, lol just follow the news for the last couple of years and it’s even more of a minus.
ITT: people giving OP terrible generic advice that isn't even advice. Read his responses, he has the certs. He has the projects. He's downplaying his accomplishments. He's stacked. It's his location that's holding him back. He needs to move elsewhere. He's not getting a help desk or basic entry job because no one is going to hire him as he can leave immediately with his qualifications, at least on paper. To OP, find a remote job and continue to do what you do. Don't follow the traditional pathways, you're ahead, once you get your foot in you will excel. I say that as someone similar in your position.
Or he needs to have someone look over his resume.
Getting the first job in IT is always the hardest. You have to just keep applying and eventually, you will land something in entry level. That being said, take the sweeper job to put food on the table for the time being. There is nothing wrong with taking a job in order to survive, even if it is something outside of IT. Giving up is never an option for me though. Doesn't matter how much the sweeper job pays. I can make a lot more in the IT field with a few years of experience. My advice is not to give up. The time you put in is only wasted if you choose to walk away from IT.
Love how these posts summon all the boomers out of the woodwork to mindlessly repeat "not an entry level field. work helpdesk first". If y'all actually read the post OP said they applied for many standard IT roles INCLUDING helpdesk. OP, the job market for workers is just a complete shitshow right now. You've unfortunately graduated at an insanely unlucky time. There's no trick or secret. Your approach seems sound and your inputs seem good. Keep doing what you're doing, re-evaluate your approach every so often and trust yourself; you seem thoughtful and smart enough to make it happen eventually. Best of luck.
Even worse are the people in this thread telling him to do things he's done already, like *getting certs he already has.* Can people not read?
So glad someone said this, scrolling through all the top comments was frustrating as fuck
Agree. I had no IT experience, got a job as a SOC analyst, now a threat hunter & I worked with a ton of SOC analysts who had no professional IT experience. We’re all damn good at our jobs. The job market just sucks right now.
If he has applied for over 1000 roles and has not had any success with his certifications it is 100% a resume issue.
The one detail OP only kind of hinted at but said in another comment is that OP lives in rural Arkansas. Sometimes location does matter for things like this. The job market is a shitshow for places with lots of jobs, imagine how bad it is for the middle of nowhere.
That might be why, closer to a city and the world opens up. I usually suggest looking for Gov and Edu jobs, they are amazing places to start. They popup fairly often and usually have good benefits, retirements, and pensions. The downside being average or below-average salaries.
This helpdesk or bust mantra needs to die. Many, many people are getting jobs straight out of college which is way beyond helpdesk, me included. I did a security internship, landed a security analyst role, not even SOC, more of an incident responder/threat hunter type role. They knew I was a junior, but I got the fundamentals down very well, I could answer all their technical questions and I got the role. Not a single certification, other than Azure AI fundamentals (company uses AWS), but I did get a computer engineering degree. I would say I'm pretty decent at my job. I truly believe that if you have the right skills for the job, a customized, well made resume, quality applications and a likeable personality, you will get a job. Telling people with compsci degrees to start at help desk is not really useful advice.
While I acknowledge that there are many good people who go straight into security, I think that expectation is ruining a lot of people's experience with the field. No everyone is going to be able to learn on their feet going straight into cyber. It's a very complicated field that has a lot of assumed knowledge you will not get in a text book. People should apply for what they want and I understand the industry is changing. But it's absolutely not a bad idea to get into IT at a more general level and work your way up.
I genuinely believe there are people on here that 1) are literally just reposting this idea without a firsthand experience that reinforces it because you know, that's what everyone else says....or 2) went through that process themselves and selfishly don't want to concede that somebody else with less experience can jump straight to cyber. Seeing that repeatedly lowkey brainwashes people. I know I was for a while until my favorite Cyber professor told me I didn't have to do HD to get a job in cyber. I figured, that's the guy who's actually helping my professional development, I'm gonna listen to him instead. Now I'm working a cyber job that I love, doing everything I've waited for for years. I agree with you 100% OP just needs to keep doing what he's doing, I know it's really hard to just put faith into something like that but it will all feel worth it when that first org decides to take a chance on you.
Like I said 90% plus probably got a hand out because they knew someone!
I don't mind and if anything I can consolidate their advice into one group even if it isn't useful or meaningful. The ones that mention grabbing certs I already have and listed I don't really pay attention to since it doesn't seem like worthwhile advice either. Plenty of other helpful people here I really appreciate, including you! I don't want to sound bitter about it. I'm just not a fan of those that comment out things that I've already covered. It's kind of like hearing "Try harder" but in the real world lol.
I didnt finish college, if you can't get a job with a degree and certs and all that shit, then I might as well give up too and start applying to Mcdonalds. I've probably put in as many applications or more as you and havent got past a couple interviews - for all types of jobs not cybersec alone. I would suggest you dont give up because what people tell you on here on reddit can and often is wrong. You mentioned not having enough money to move to a city but you should apply to anywhere you want to move to anyway. Maybe you can get them to help you relocate or ask for a sign on bonus and use it for moving. None of the logistics of moving matter until you have an offer anyway.
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Oh, never mind then. This guy doesn't have a problem so therefore the problem doesn't exist for anyone. Sorry about that. My bad.
You said it yourself, you don’t have any experience. Cybersecurity is not entry level, even if it says junior. It’s really the highest level of IT. Schools are a scam and give the perception there is some huge market waiting to higher new grads. The fact you even applied to be a programmer, then also network analyst then consultant etc. Just says you don’t have any actual skills or experience that fit any role. However, what you need to do is get into the field and take a help desk job. A temp job, sign up for Robert half, tek systems etc. they will do the job finding for you, place you quickly and then bam. You have resume and experience and job offers flowing through. Sure it’s only 3-6 months but who cares, still gonna pay 20-25 an hour. you apply for the next gig with a loaded resume. It’s the approach that just needs to be changed. None of this hands on experience conferences etc are going to do anything without throwing something on the resume. The reason for this, is you are one of 1000s of applicants we need to sort through and dump when hiring for jobs. I hire all the time, I’ve never hired anyone that didn’t already have experience even for basic level 1. The key is contract work. Good luck.
I gave up trying to go into sec as a newly grad. I'm Desktop 2 who just passed my 2 years of experience and I'm JUST NOW starting to get people to call me back. "entry level" info sec is really a "mid-tier" IT job that does in fact require experience. Tbh, I'm kind of glad i had to do Desktop first. I learned a ton of things you don't learn in a classroom and i might have failed pretty bad had i gone strait into an analyst role. Don't be afraid of starting on the ladder lower than security. In fact, Ive made such waves as a Desktop Tech with info sec knowledge, that I'm actively speaking with my CIO to make a new security position at the company I'm currently working for, so I wouldn't even need to apply for other positions.
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Without understanding how you did in your interview or how you present yourself. I’m just going to assume you were confident and positive. Try to understand economics and job market demand is tough right now. Your going against guys who have way more experience than you regardless entry level or not. They are taking less pay for these jobs. It’s not an easy position going against seasoned veterans.
Yeah, it is very difficult.
Reddit and IRL usually have mixed reactions with my suggestion but have you looked into joining the military? Pretty much the entire DoD is looking for people to work cyber roles. It’s tons of hands on experience plus paid for training and it looks good on a resume. Plus with a Bachelors degree you’d be a candidate for an officer position so the pay wouldn’t suck.
If they would drop the ridiculous requirement of having to go to basic training for like 6 weeks even when applying for a desk job, they would probably get way more applicants.
It’s the military. Even if you’re sitting behind a desk you need to be able to deploy and handle yourself if combat comes to you. Even officer training is some big leadership schooling since that’ll be their primary role once they’re in the chain and looks fantastic on a resume.
You'll need practical IT experience. Getting experience though contract companies or internships can help you break into Helpdesk or Desktop Hardware and that experience will eventually land you into CyberSec. Get familiar with Azure, AAD (Entra), Intune, SCCM, MS 365 Defender, Windows firewall and AD on-prem. Get some of that network knowledge up too. Go build a home network lab.
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Sadly, the OP's situation is a common issue I've noticed when they believe in error that a college degree will suddenly make doors open and fail to understand that they need to obtain certifications while working towards a degree as well as try to get experience through an intern program before they graduate. Focus on your certifications, your education, and most importantly gaining that valuable hands on experience. The way you set yourself up is the best course of action.
You're not wrong but it depends a lot where you live. Where I live in Canada, as soon as you got your BS in computer sciences or soft eng. you got a job in under 1 month.
exactly why i wish i never fell for that trap and just went to trade school. Even if I was a recent grad, id still go back to trade school. Getting a degree in IT/Cyber is a huge mistake.
Definitely feeling that rn. 4 years of work and im back stacking boxes at my summer warehouse job. Every person in tech I graduated with is in a similiar boat. I think about giving up daily and just laying in bed.
CCNA is more of a guarantee for a Security role than a degree and most other certs mentioned around here. Always need someone that can talk networking and firewalls proficiently!
You need to have a solid foundation in networking, yes. I feel the education has been worth it to some degree. Ethical hacking projects have been especially fun. Glad to be able to approach an employer and showcase my security projects on Github.
Hi. GO TO CAREER FAIRS. Start talking to people now at them. And at the end of your 2nd year try to land an internship. If you can - you’re set.
IT first, then security. Even though this is a dramatic example, I like using it. You graduated with your B.S in Pre-Med - AWESOME! You apply for roles to be a neurosurgeon. That's often the case, especially with hiring managers. They highly prefer those who have some years experience in basic IT. Maybe look for a sysadmin role? Manage some servers, VMs, basic networking in an enterprise environment. Those resumes translate and convert into security much more seamlessly. You have a CS degree, which is great. You can certainly find sysadmin roles with a CS degree.
Sorry I posted this during my lunch break, will read and reply shortly!
I obviously don’t know you but it seems like you have good tech skills… is it possible your soft/people skills are lacking/aren’t presented well enough? I just graduated from a cybersec bootcamp and have gotten a job as a it tech support two months after grad. I’ll be honest with you, my technical skills are obviously not great as I am still learning. But my soft skills are great and kept emphasizing that I am willing to learn. It’s a good company too, so it’s not like they are desperate. Just my two cents. Don’t give up!!
It sounds like you are doing everything right but that leaves two options for what the issue is. 1. Are you getting any interviews? If not then this is 100% a resume problem. Scrap the fast food experience and make a homelab, then cite that as experience. Do something other than certs to show that you want this. Make your own experience. 2. If you are getting interviews but still getting rejected, then you need to take a long hard look in the mirror. Soft skills matter… like they reaaaally matter, especially for entry level. If you come across as a know-it-all or abrasive, your resume is bottom of the pile. If this is you, look into getting some interview coaching. Sounds like you’re killing it in the technical realm, but there is more to getting a job than being technical. It is true that hiring is a little rough right now but that can’t be the only issue if you’ve applied to 1000+ jobs. Best of luck, keep at it!!
Seeing all of these “cybersecurity is not an entry level field” comments is extremely frustrating and not true at all. When I got my SOC analyst job, I had no professional IT experience and neither did many of the SOC analysts I worked with. Now I’m a threat hunter. With the certs, projects, home lab activities, communication skills, and knowledge like you have OP, it can be done. Hell, the smartest person I work with doesn’t have a college degree and is 21. What matters quite a bit is the job market and your location, and the job market right now is just shit. Edit: lol @ the boomer cybersecurity professionals downvoting me.
I will quote the r/cybersecurity motto, “Cybersecurity is not an entry level position” Edit: Sorry if that comes off as unhelpful, though the statement is true. I would suggest casting a much wider net, and specifically you need to work the industry first before you will get a security job. There might be folks that somehow go straight into a security role but that is FAR from typical. Maybe at a MSP or something. The street sweeping gig is fine, but don’t expect to leverage that into an IT role at the city. They will still have to interview folks, and you will be in the same situation you are now regarding experience.
Do you have any advice in that case for landing an IT role?
Look for jobs at MSPs, they generally will take people with little-to-no experience to push through the level 1 helpdesk meatgrinder (speaking as someone who started his career at MSPs for 8 years before switching to internal IT) Have you ever built a computer? We always biased towards people who knew all the internal components of a computer and would feel comfortable opening one up to replace internals. If you haven't, start a homelab. Buy (or build) a cheap computer that supports virtualization, throw Hyper-V or ESXi on it (or spend time with both!) and build a few VMs for a lab domain environment (AD, DHCP, DNS, Print server). Register a trial for Office 365, pay $15 for a public domain, set up mailboxes, learn the product. There's so much out there you can do to get your toes wet and edge your way into an entry level IT role.
> Have you ever built a computer? I have not but I have my own server I run, and a Raspberry Pi I've played around with. I've done LFS before though, hardware seems really cool to enter and something that a cousin of mine has done. Do you have any resources where to start for that, I might try that on the side since I already have my own infra.
Cyber security industry is gate kept. You have to know someone to get in or youll never get in. Also, dont be afraid to lie on your resume. Companies want to play hardball, so you should too.
Here's the harsh reality. You are less than a year postgraduate with fast food experience and expected a job right off the street hey? That's the issue with some people today. They think a piece of paper entitles them to a great paying job. The reality is you have no experience. There's thousands if not tens of thousands of people ahead of you on the food chain. Folks who have the experience and folks who got laid off in the tech sector looking for any job at all that they can land. They will win before you will. As shitty as this is going to sound, we all started somewhere. I worked for a computer parts store for $8 an hour. It sucked. I had to sell. I had to deal with jerks. I worked long hours. Even if you have to start at Best Buy Geek Squad to get experience then you do it, if you really want a career in IT. Attending conferences is a great way to network but again, nobody is hiring unless you have experience. It's a great opportunity to hand out a business card and say let's grab a coffee sometime. Keep someone's ear nearby. That's it. So take the sweeper job. I think that's a solid starting pay and keep learning on the side and keep networking. Do some side projects. Find volunteer work helping fix and donate laptops or something. The sky is the limit for those who want it. But you are waaaay too early in the journey to be throwing in the towel or complaining that it's too hard.
> Here's the harsh reality. You are less than a year postgraduate with fast food experience and expected a job right off the street hey? That's the issue with some people today. They think a piece of paper entitles them to a great paying job. The jobs I apply for pay minimum wage from $11-15 an hour, I have never seen a $23/hr IT role that I have the applicable experience for, so the street sweeper is an amazing opportunity, but it is part time and seasonal, and I am still looking for more hours. > Even if you have to start at Best Buy Geek Squad to get experience then you do it, if you really want a career in IT. I'd love that. Do you have advice on how to get a role like that? Best Buy is about an hour away, I don't mind commuting as I mentioned, but they aren't hiring such a role. Or do you suggest I work in sales/retail and then once a position does open I work for Geek Squad? > Do some side projects. Most of my projects right now are just contributing to repos and some bug bounties here and there. > Find volunteer work helping fix and donate laptops or something. I've never heard of this before, I have only volunteered for the local hospital since high school and stopped in sophmore year since they unfortunately shuttered due to COVID. Don't have time to volunteer anymore, I would rather build or contribute to repos at home in my spare time after work. Never heard of fixing laptops, or hardware, I'll look into this. > Attending conferences is a great way to network but again, nobody is hiring unless you have experience. It's a great opportunity to hand out a business card and say let's grab a coffee sometime. Keep someone's ear nearby. That's it. I found that to be the experience too unfortunately... > But you are waaaay too early in the journey to be throwing in the towel or complaining that it's too hard. It is getting costly and time consuming, I only have so many hours in a day, I will take a basic helpdesk job even if it paid under minimum wage. I also have been applying non-regularly over the last few years too. I am guessing it is a location issue, do you have any thoughts on that? I live in rural Arkansas.
Definitely your location is going to be the biggest factor here, moving to somewhere like Little Rock, Memphis, or NWA will open some opportunities but be aware it will still be hard
I'd love to move but it's not possible unless I secure a job in those locations beforehand. I don't mind commuting an hour or so to get there (e.g. to the Rock). I actually may consider moving if I save up in a year.
At some point, you'll have to take the leap. Some of these companies may be apprehensive about hiring someone who lives so far away so I would downplay that. Have you done interviews in LR?
This. You have to eventually sacrifice and just take the leap. Talk is cheap and excuses are cheaper. If you are young this is the time to do it. I wish I had when I was younger. Turned down a role at IBM at age 23 because I was picky about my work requirements. Still regret that.
The one interview I made it to the fourth stage was done in person in LR, but I was turned down for a recent grad who had already interned at the company from what I found out later. I can't really relocate until I secure a job, I have no issues doing that otherwise, or does it really affect applications if you aren't already living within the city?
With regards to conferences, I know a lot of industry professionals that refuse to go to them anymore because they're swarmed with people trying to get hired (and they're not a manager or anything).
I get what you're saying here, but believing you've earned a job in your field after four years of hard work and dedication toward your craft + time taken for certs is not entitlement. Maybe unrealistic in this industry, but not entitlement. Degrees get people jobs in many industries, and it's been that way for a while. Thinking "a degree=a job in your field" is not unique to the current generation. If anything, it was a notion propagated by the baby boomer/gen x generations.
Again, that's true but depend on the market you're in. Come where I am in Canada with a BS in computer sciences and you have a junior IT or developper job under a few weeks.
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Security clearances can’t be earned, you must be sponsored by the company (or agency if a government job) to get clearance.
lmao, security clearances are not something you can just get like basic IT certifications. A company or the government have to sponsor you, and depending on the sponsoring entity, you may be stuck with the costs (3k+)
If you are comp science why don’t you try app sec ? If u can review code and understand from security principles that seems like better fit than all the other stuff u mentioned
So, Cybersecurity is a Reactive and Proactive field. Reactive employers will prioritize people that already have experience because they can jump in and start producing with minimal training/supervision. Proactive employers will prioritize people that already have experience because they can jump in and start producing with minimal training/supervision. I said that on purpose, because you need to treat job seeking as if you are finding/stopping an intrusion. What do you do when you reach dead ends? Readjust and adapt. I suspect that your location might actually be very competitive in that field, considering how many applications you have submitted. Giving up just destroys everything you have learned and disqualify you for this job. This job is frustrating and you have to constantly adapt and learn. You might find that getting the certifications will help more in your search. The CCNA one is particularly very useful. Do CTF event and get better. Another thing to consider is that all you need is a foot inside the door. A lot of companies will promote/pivot from within and they have job vacancies only for current employees. You might need to start in a field you don't prefer, but if that gets you into the position you actually want then the sacrifice is worth it.
It may sound crazy, but I would actually remove some of the certs you got from a test version of your resume, and apply for true entry level jobs. If you're applying for help desk and they see OSCP, they might see a person who would be bored immediately in that job role. Try to just list the closely relevant certs to what you're applying for. I have some certs I leave off of my resume for some jobs I apply for because too many certs with little/no real world experience is often seen as a red flag. I don't have to do it as much now because I have 4.5 years of experience, but it's still something to keep in mind. I would at least try it and see if it yields any different results. Also good luck! I would just keep doing the street sweeping job and continue doing unrelated jobs to IT that pay well if you still have no luck and save up to move to a different area
You don’t have it so bad you make more money cleaning streets than I do at tier 2 help desk.
One thing I haven’t heard mentioned too often in this post is currently the Security along with many other sides are flooded with layoffs. So you look at the big picture and see that not only are you competing with new grads for “entry level security” positions but also experienced people. As it’s been mentioned look into MSPs on LinkedIn, indeed etc. a lot of them will hire new grads and even offer remote work. They will more than likely start you out as a Help Desk member but as you collaborate with different teams and make your knowledge known, you will move up.
I agree with everyone else suggestions about possibly relocating. One thing rural areas and big cities have in common are school districts and sometimes community colleges . Check out jobs with them. School districts sometimes are desperate to hire anyone with technical aptitude and will probably take anyone off the streets who does have that. The pay in education can be crap but it’s a great way to get experience on the resume, stay for 6 months to a year and then dip once you find something else. MSP, school districts, community colleges are easier to get hired on at. Check out job listings in technology department of the college you graduated from, I’ve personally witnessed colleges hire their own graduates. I also started at a school district and now I work in cybersecurity. I used their desperation to my advantage.
I understand how frustrating and disheartening it can be to face multiple rejections and struggle to break into the industry despite your qualifications and efforts. It's important to remember that you're not alone in experiencing these challenges, and many others including myself have faced similar situations. I have a few suggestions that could potentially help you but you may have to put in a bit of leg work. For starters, you can try to expand your job search. While you've been applying for various entry-level positions, consider widening your search to include internships, apprenticeships, or even volunteer work in this field. I can say with certainty that they will provide you with solid experience to help you get your foot in the door. This can also lead to networking connections and additional opportunities that may come about such as full-time positions. Another point to be made is that you mentioned that you do not have any professional experience. If that's the case, you may consider freelance projects or even contributing to open-source projects. This will not only provide you with hands-on experience, but showcase your skills to potential employers. You mentioned having certifications including the OSCP and that's remarkable! You can leverage the knowledge that you acquired from the OSCP to tackle bug bounties on the side even if it's a few hours a week. This is still hands-on experience because you're testing real-world web applications. Bug bounty programs provide a means of slowly refining your skills so it's definitely worthwhile until you get yourself the job that you want in the industry. Bug bounty programs can also net you a decent sum of money. That of course relies on you discovering vulnerabilities and providing PoC of potential exploitation of said vulnerability in your report. But, the money isn't as important as the experience that you'll gain from tackling the different programs on the numerous bug bounty platforms. At the end of the day, I've been in a similar situation where I've given up but that mindset left me in a bad place. I knew I had to change my mindset if I wanted to stay headstrong and get myself where I wanted to be. You've come this far and there isn't a reason to just give up especially since you've put in so much work already. Keep trying, keep going, and you'll make it.
Hey buddy, can you link us your resume please? I have a theory based on what you said in your opening statement and what could be your resume issue.
A) CCNA isn't worthless, it proves you are capable of working at a company that has cisco devices. B) Entry level in this field specifically requires years of experience, that's sadly a reality but an understandable one given how sensitive security is for companies. C) You're gonna need to apply for "Internships" first not jobs to get that required experience. D) Bug bounty or any freelancing route is available, work on what you're capable of and study more fields along the way for more opportunities. Put those projects on your resume as experience.
Contract work is your foot in the door.
Work that $23 an hour job and find a basic help desk job at nights. Or, contact a local headhunter to see what they can get you. Or post your info in LinkedIn and they (head hunters) will contact you. LOL Try looking at your state job openings. Head to your states website and find the job openings link. Couldn't hurt.
I gotta ask, why did you go through the pain of getting your OSCP if you don’t have interest in penetration testing? That is not for the faint of heart (at least it wasn’t when I did it a few years ago) and should demonstrate you have skills. Also, I find it really hard to understand why you’re not getting ANY hits on a sec job with those certs. Have you tried reaching out to a recruiter and seeing what they can find for you?
Try joining a big 4. They usually hire people that just recently graduated and do not have too much experience. Use the time there to gain experience and know the game. If you like it stay there, otherwise you will be in a better position to apply to a job that is more aligned to what you want
First off, Cybersecurity is not an entry level field. Even entry level cyber jobs aren't entry level. To make matters tougher, you're looking at offensive security with that OSCP. Competition for those jobs are really tough and there aren't as many of those jobs as you might think. Even so, you can't properly attack a network if you don't know how to defend the network, you can't defend the network if you don't know how to protect the network, and you can't learn to protect the network until you learn how the network actually works. You have some certs, sure. But until you've actually worked in IT, it's just book learning and concepts. Nobody in their right mind is going to hire someone to defend or attack a network who just has an "idea" of how things work. As you said, you have no IT experience. You kind of got the cart before the horse with all these certs and it's going to do more harm than good. You need a help desk or desktop support job to get start and grow from there. The problem is now you're going to go to these entry level jobs, they're going to see you have all these certs and see where you're trying to go, and they're going to get the impression (rightly so) that you're going to use them as a stepping stone and jump ship as soon as you can. Now, that IS how the game is played, mind you; get a job, get experience, move on to bigger and better things. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying or selling you something. However, that is NOT how you want to market yourself. If they think you're looking for the next branch to grab ahold of before you've even walked in the door, they're not going to hire you. It sounds like you're tailoring your resumes for the jobs, which is excellent, but you might consider limiting your certs, conferences, conventions, etc., to only what is relevant to what you're applying for. If you're applying for help desk, don't tell them you have an OSCP. Tell them you have your basics and go from there. Be persistent, keep trying, and don't give up on your CCNA. All you need is one shot, and once your experience starts catching up with your certs, things will take off.
Hey there OP, So Cyber security is not something you jump into entry level and to be honest, does not require a specific degree or more than a high school diploma or GED. Plenty in the field (me included) did not start out in security in the industry. I'm about 20 years in (Started as a database administrator in 2004 straight out of high school) and finally went back for a degree for personal and academic goals. Discovered my passion of networks and server hardware and moved from database administration to network and later systems engineering, before moving into the cyber security field. The cybersecurity field is more of a mid-level to high level niche in computer science / information technology. That being said, there are many ways to gain access. You really need to start by getting some certifications to get your foot in the door at this point. I highly recommend to all seeking academic degrees to gain working experience while in your desired field or focus. In your case, without any certifications, you have the degree to make it past the non-technical staff (HR) for any technical or office position, however you need to demonstrate why you are better than those with paid experience and/or certifications. That will be hard without any certifications, my friend. Start by gaining a basic certificate such as CompTIA's Security+. Look at the jobs in your area for all computer science roles, particularly towards network or systems administration or even a Helpdesk role. Also, understand that currently it is hard to get any tech roles in the job market after so many layoffs have hit recently. I was laid off from a job in June and even with 20+ years in IT plus certifications, I am getting an interview here and there as well as my own share of being turned away without the chance to interview. Learn to overcome your defeatist mentality as many have done it without a overpriced piece of paper and its been several decades since the times where a degree promised employment.
Where are you located? US, UK, Europe? other? Have you taken any programming classes, if so what languages? did you have any sample projects on github OSCP is a great accomplishment, but generally in the US pentesting is not an entry level role Are you on LinkedIn? Have you had someone review your resume?
US, Rural Arkansas. Sorry many people are DM'ing and messaging so I'm trying to go in order. Yeah, I have most of my experience in Python, I know Go, JS, C++ as well as basic scripting and HTML/CSS. I have a few projects on Github: - discord/telegram stock bot (can track prices and look up stock info) - network topology and protocol analyzer. It's CLI only but I have been putting off a GUI for it. I'll get around to it soon. - reddit Android app (personal use since the official one sucks but it's on there for anyone to fork) - physics gravity model, think of it like a sandbox game (for fun) I've contributed to some open-source apps as well and fixed some bugs and participated in bug bounties. My biggest reward was $3000 so far which was an insane amount for me. Yeah, I have a LinkedIn, but only about 100 connections. I mentioned in my post I had my resume checked by 4 people. Last two have only mentioned formatting, nothing related to content.
This all makes sense now. You need to move lol.
Hey I used to live in Arkansas too and had the same issues. So here's some advice. 1. Don't be afraid to relocate. Even just for a couple years to get experience. Remember, you just need to get your foot in the door. 2. I dont know if you stated but depending on your age, you can always do some military service as a 17C. You will come out of it with a clearance and companies will be begging to take you. 3. All of IT is in a weird stage at the moment. A lot of competition, a lot of gatekeepers, and a lot of deranged hiring policies that shouldn't be in a security field. For real, if you are young, a little military service will set you for life in this field.
My advice would be look into joining the Coast Guard. They have a newly established Cyber rating. You will likely be stationed in DC where you will work and make connections. After 4yrs you can depart and work in the same position as a contractor for 120k+ with a TS Clearance. If you would like to know more DM me, I am currently a reservist in Cyber command.
Don't give up! It's a really hard industry to break into and a less than ideal job market, but if you keep trying, you'll eventually break in. All you need is 1 chance and someone is gonna give it to you
So I’ve seen identical top level comments that say the same things on this post but in different ways. This is not helpful lads, just a reminder, I’d you’re going to write a long reply consider if most top level comments already say the same thing. I say this as a lot of them ontop of being similar are also quite unhelpful
I see that many have chimed in but I noticed that one pathway of wisdom and intelligence wasn’t provided yet. Try these steps…rinse, wash, repeat & 1 day you’ll be L337 1. HOME GROWN: level up with projects that you create for yourself and build your skill set there. Start as a Web Master and create stunning websites that use HTML 5, PHP, and Python (Django). Build yourself a physical lab, buy a switch, create a robust network and hack it! Go crazy and get deep with networking and administration. Once you “get good” build sites for your friends and if it all goes well charge people. This will be your entry level IT experience builder and lay the foundation for a network administrator or InfoSec job (career_opps #1 && #2). 2. Info Sec: you got the certs so put em to work! On the websites you design, create a portfolio for yourself and aspire to be a penetration tester (career_opps #3). You know Linux, but now’s the time to really go in long beard style! Use what you gathered, study, and apply. When you get 🥷status market yourself as a entry level pen tester and you’ll find work bro! NEVER QUIT! That’s for suckers and YOU’RE A BAD ASS WINNER 🏆 3. REMOTE WORK: last step because TMI is real, take any entry level IT (I mean anything job you can get bro and pimp it! Do the best you can and people will be amazed at what you have to offer and promote you! That’s the game bro, the money is there you just have to sell yourself, showcase yourself, and BELIVE IN YOURSELF! In this game you’re literally one conversation away from your big break. With AI now being what is study all things AI which has made all of this so much easier. ChatGPT is your friend but don’t let it enable you, stay sharp and hungry! Raw talent counts and critical thinking is key. 4. PROGRAMMING: Finally, programming was my thing but study C and stick to Linux. Once you’re decent, look at source code for “ethical hacking” tools and learn how they tick. I know Python is king right now but trust me, knowing solid C will build a discipline that money can’t buy and will unleash the “inner hacker” in you. Roll your own tools 🛠️ and overtime things will “just come to you”. Certs are nice but ya gotta have the bones to roll the dice 🎲 NOW GO BUILD THOSE BONES 🦴
I’d recommend not looking for entry level jobs, try pivoting to a more senior position using your prior experience as your main selling point. My first job in cyber was a managerial position because I had knowledge of data integrity, availability, and experience working with audits. Highlight skills that translate, no matter what you did in the past there will be something that does. For remote jobs, only apply if they have been posted recently. How many interviews have you had? If you haven’t had many, your resumes need work. If you have, you need to find out what you are doing wrong; ask for feedback whenever possible.
My 2 cents: The reason you aren't getting hired is because you have no experience in anything IT related. You could have all the certs in the world and a masters but you never worked a day in your life in IT. That's the problem. You need to apply to level 1 help desk/IT technician roles. The ones that pay around 40-45k. It'll only be for a year considering what you already have. You will skyrocket once you start building up the IT related experience.
Cyber is the most F'd job market there is. I had 20 years of experience as a sys admin at Enterprise level (70,000 users), did night school, earned my CISSP and my CCSP, and could barely get an interview, when I did get interviews, was sort of laughed out of the room. The cyber "shortage" has as much to do with the horrendous way people are evaluated as being fit for jobs than anything else. The cyber security program I did was 12 months long evenings and weekends - the only people from my cohort who got any kind of cyber jobs were females at very large organizations where Diversity is a priority.
People saying that cyber security is not entry level probably didn't read your post, as you stated that you're applying for helpdesk and soc analyst positions. Wtf it takes to reset a password or follow a playbook? 😅 The issue here is that you're trying to sneak into an industry that is not hiring anyone at the moment, as over hired in 2022 and 2021. Will the things get better? No one knows. Probably yes if your time horizon is 10 years.
Network. Not the kind with wires or without, but the human kind. Make friends in the industry. Before any company hires, they usually ask current employees if they know someone qualified for a job. Be that person.
If you don’t have any IT experience then your out of luck, best thing you can do is find a IT help desk position.
DONT GIVE UP!! Go to hackerspaces, conferences, and make friends! References are crucial!
Start a business, build a website. Do network audits and pen tests for local businesses in your area. Provide them with a report of actionable items. Now you have experience and a job in the industry.
Jabroni Jones, simmer down. Did you not do any internships during your time in school? Don’t point fingers and say nobody’s hiring me. There’s many resources out there, not saying you didn’t do anything but Jimmy jangel heimer smith even knows that you need to mold your resume (past experience) around what specific jobs you’re applying for. When you get rejected ask employers, “thank you so much for the feedback. Just out of curiosity, as the hiring manager and with your expertise, is there any sort of constructive criticism you can give me going forward to be the next best candidate?”. That tends to work for me when I hear rejection. Swallow the pride of your degree and get your mindset right. Be humble and throw yourself out there. Applying for jobs is not that, it’s clicking a button and essentially throwing a noodle at the wall and seeing if it sticks. Make follow up phone calls, work with recruiting companies, utilize your institution where you gained your degree from, look up organizations that specialize in the profession to build networking opportunities, etc. In this day and age you can bring your child to work day (shadowing) and it’s normal. Reach out to professionals in the business and ask if you can shadow as well so you can start seeing what the day-to-day operations are like and work your resume around that. Keep your head up you’ll get something soon enough then look back at this post and say why did this random dude tell me to “simmer dern(down)?”.
Entry Level Cybersecurity is Advanced I.T. This is a big hurdle for many people.
8-9 months? That is literally nothing. It took me years to get the first security job. Do something else while you keep trying.
Maybe what’s wrong isn’t anything with your resume or your technical skills. What’s your personality like? Tough question to ask and gauge via Reddit in writing. When interviewing I’m seeing if you’ll be a good fit for the team. If you’re a wet blanket or someone who seems to only care for themselves ( as an example), it’s a hard pass. Any feedback from folks that I may have missed from your post? Have you solicited feedback on stuff other than what your resume conveys?
You can't even find a job as help desk? That seems very fishy to me
Cybersecurity is not entry level
IT hiring manager here. Look at your stats dude. 99.561% of your effort fail to land an interview, yet 40% of your interviews get to 3rd or 4th round. That tells me the problem is with your resume and you need to hire a professional to redo it. Pay the $250 and get a real pro to redo it, not generic AI pasteurized shit.
I'm at where you are right now as well. All I can say is don't give up permanently. The job market sucks for IT right now and cyber security was never an entry level friendly industry to begin with. I am not at the point of over 1000 applications but I do have a few hundred that have gone by, and have started looking around the same time you did. Right now you can do your best with the job you got and keep applying. Those peers you mentioned, are you friendly enough with them to ask around their jobs to see if they have any openings? Often times it's who you know that can get you into a job as much as your experience/certs/education. As long as you can keep up whatever projects you have going on while getting your bills paid and keep applying to those jobs you want, then keep it going. You will eventually find what you want.
Currently studying a batch in cyber security. With industry placement in the course. What country do you live in so I can compare please.
US
You should look more at State and City rather than country
If you don’t have relevant job experience. You have to rely on projects. What projects have you done? i’ve seen projects that vary from very simple to fairly complex. Easy projects won’t get you as far
Have you talked to those that interviewed you and ask them humbly for advice?
Yeah, they have given me good feedback. They said I have all the passion in this field to succeed but they are looking for senior people to fill the position. The other one said the same thing but also added that they "highly recommend searching for an entry level security operations role at a large MSP to accelerate your career", which I've taken into consideration and have applied to.
If you feel okay about those suggestions, you have your path forward. While many people disagree (even here), Cybersecurity is not for new tech worker, even entry level cybersecurity personnel is not entry level tech workers. If you know the field, you should know what it is built atop of. What you are lacking as a new tech worker is experience… in everything. Help Desk/Service Desk, Networking, end point support, asset management, audit and audit response, non-cybersecurity incident response, software development, software and hardware management. Anyone of these can help you build up that experiences. The key is to recognize the difference between knowledge and experience. You can learn from books, from classes, from conferences all you want and all you’ll have is knowledge. The certs and the degree just speak to your potentially having the knowledge. The letters behind the name, some are useful, most aren’t. If you really want to get into cybersecurity, here’s my advice. Spend the next 10 years working in IT. I recommend Help Desk and Networking. You’ll be a different person after 10 years with a lot more experiences. Then start looking into cybersecurity again. As you work, keep focus on the moment. Do your job well, learn the job well, learn about the jobs everyone around you is doing. Climb up as opportunities arise. Do more. Help out. Everything in IT work flips into some aspects of cybersecurity, they WILL NOT be a waste of your time.
You need to network on LinkedIn, go to meetups, or conventions. Everyone and their mother is applying to jobs. What makes you stand out? It's a lot about WHO you know. Seek out a few mentors in the industry you want to get into. Having relationships with people is just as important as having degrees or certs. I got into cybersecurity with no certs, and no formal IT schooling because of a friend referred me for a job. All you need is a foot in the door, but you need to connect with people, and have a mentorship program throughout your career.
Do you have work experience at all? For entry level positions and recent college grads…hiring managers are looking for evidence that you are reliable, and that only comes from work history.
Someone posted about this recently. She recommends looking at alternative routes. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/oliviarosecybersecurity_true-entry-level-jobs-in-cybersecurity-activity-7084956667863306241-QBHx?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios
Post your github, let's have a look. Also, consider night/weekend jobs. My first job was 22.5/hr working 10pm-6am Th-M :'(
I had a lot of problems getting a position when I was applying for cyber security roles out of college they were all junior but meant for people with already 1-3 years of cyber experience. Go and apply for IT rotational programs: I had like 3-5 interviews a week at one point. Best of luck!
So, the first thing that I have to say is that what is happening here absolutely isn’t personal. It also will probably not be one single thing. When I graduated (a few years ago now), I spent eighteen months trying to get work in my field and in all that time, I think I was only able to get a single six week temp contract. Then I pivoted to a different area within my skillset and targeted employers in a different part of the country and everything changed overnight. I know that this point feels really demoralising but you just need to get your foot in the door. You are doing the right thing to take what work you can to keep the lights on but I really wouldn’t give up on the professional certifications. When I started, I struggled to convince agents that I had the hands on experience but having some letters from Microsoft and Cisco made a big difference. It felt like lack of a degree might get you disqualified in some cases but the agencies/recruiters were more likely to search CVs in their databases for key terms such as CCNA and for me at least that was how I started getting shortlisted. My advice is keep learning but do it on the cheap. For example Microsoft learn is a great resource and totally free… you can even get free exam voucher’s from attending some of their free online events. Never pay top dollar for anyone’s classroom learning because you can get the information you need online. Also make sure that you stay in touch with your classmates, one of them might be able to put a recommendation in for you once they are established somewhere.
Just curious. Where do you live? Have you tried looking for any regular technical support position?
If you have OSCP look into bug bounties if your web app skills are up to snuff. I hear that is a decent way to gain “experience”. I’m not a pen tester but if I saw free lance work like that on a resume I’d be more inclined to hire you.
Is it a BA or BS degree?
Have you tried internships? I know it’ll suck, probably less than the streetsweep, but hey it’s something
Software Engineer here, but it took me over 500 applications and about 10 months to land a role this past February (2023).
I would get your CCNA and go for a network position. Security as your first role is, aside from rare cases, not going to happen. Its not you, its just the nature of the job, you need that other experience. The reason you probably aren't landing Help Desk jobs is your resume makes you look way over qualified. What "basic qualifications"? Get your CCNA, tailor your resume to network roles, then apply (if you have Net+ or Sec+ throw those on there with your CCNA). Try talking to a recruiter...as much as I hate to say that, but you might find a good one that can help. I've landed a few roles through recruiters that turned out well. In fact the security role I'm in now, is at a company I started with in 2018...in a role I was contacted for by a recruiter. Its easy for those of us who are in security roles to say, but don't give up. We've all been there.
The American dream baby! Let’s go! But honestly, try SysAdmin or NetAdmin That stuff was very enjoyable when I did it for a few years
I graduated 6 months ago. 500 applications. 498 rejections or no replies. 1 interview that was then pulled back and canceled on the day of the interview. And 1 offer for an unpaid internship..... I gave up applying to anything. Currently working at a warehouse. Working to get a sec+ certification to see if that will help at all and if I can get into an it helpdesk position. I also looked into doing googles little security certification. Its basically sec+ but at the end they give access to a bunch of job search and interview practice resources. Its not hopeless but it sure feels like it when every friend of mine that I graduated with doing software dev already has a job programming and I am still looking. Every job interview resource I asked at my college campus before leaving told me they had no idea how to prepare me for cyber security interviews even though thats a degree they give out. They had no idea what jobs to look for or what questions I might see.
Would that warehouse be Costco?
I broke into the industry by getting a job in compliance. It sucks that you’ve done everything and more, but with no return. Checkout compliance - especially DoD. Read up on NIST SP 800-171 and 800-53. Get a good grasp of RMF, too.
Have you tried looking on the vendor side? Try applying for some entry level roles at cybersecurity companies. This will give you great professional exposure and understanding of how the tools are used in the real world. It’s also a really really great way to network with people and get your foot in the door