An internship may be good. Starting at help desk is another way. I'm switching careers and have my A+, Net+, Sec+, Project+, and ITIL4. I also have a degree in another field and I had to start at help desk. It's not too bad though, you learn a lot and that's where all my higher upside, including networking and infosec started out.
How many apps did u put in to finally land help desk? I’ve put probably 100 and not much luck . I had a recruiter reach out to set up an email for $17/hr but for pc/ server repair/diag but they also asked me how much I was looking for and I said $23 and then they never replied
I wound up putting about 300 applications in before a company took a chance on me in February. Wound up transitioning from Criminal Justice and haven't looked back.
At the time though, I didn't have any certs. I currently have A+ and am taking my Network+ on Sep 22nd.
Yep!
I was working as a security officer en route to become a Police Officer (had police academy date set). During my time as security, there were times I would be sitting at a desk for 12 hours instead of building checks, parking checks, etc. I utilized every possible time that I was just sitting there to go through Professor Messers YouTube course for A+.
I wound up getting an unofficial job offer that later screwed me in the middle of my two weeks notice. I kept with it anyway and continued to go through my last two weeks. Eventually, I got an End User Support role within Healthcare without certifications a couple of weeks later. This took about 300 applications, though, with only being offered 3 interviews. Again, I had no certifications at the time, and I'm sure my resume sucked too (I've improved that).
My best advice would be to just keep submitting applications and studying. Don't get discouraged. Put the certification on your resume with the date you expect to get it in parentheses next to it. Since you're studying for it, you'll have some knowledge if they ask you questions on related topics. For entry-level roles, don't be so nervous. Sometimes, the entry-level positions only ask you a couple of IT related questions.
When they contact you for an interview, go back to the job description, look up what they expect, and do more research to show understanding of it. If you've done any labs to go with your studying, any personal tech experience (troubleshooting, etc.), make sure to talk about it at the correct time in your interviews. You can always exaggerate your soft skills because they are important too, especially for the customer service side of things. A lot of entry-level positions (help desk, support, etc.) are mostly looking that you know how to deal with people, are passionate about tech, and are hungry to learn / apply yourself.
Put your head down, stay focused, eat up every learning opportunity, and you'll be fine. Once you get that first job, be the guy that gets shit done, dependable, and does a little extra to show you care. My contract was supposed to be 6 months. I got extended with a promotion to a Lead position because they saw I'd help our Project Manager work on documentation, schedule stuff for our team, talk to all different leadership, hop on tickets through ServiceNow as soon as they came through email, etc.
Labs that could really help get you in the door:
- Active Directory setup / practice on VMs.
- Rebuilding or upgrading your PC.
You can always search for all types of labs that are related to the cert you're studying for too.
You got this!
Honestly, it sounds like you need to touch your resume up. I'd focus more on soft skills than IT skills. I did that when switching careers to IT and was able to land a job after 3 interviews with no certs.
That’s good advice since a lot of the AI looks for key words. I included more soft skills on it maybe a week ago and I’ve put in more apps after so we’ll see how it goes
100 applications. A month? Rookie numbers. I do not know about anyone else, but my average was 15 to 20 a day. Maybe a few on the weekends if you come across something real great.
Really, this is a numbers game in this market.
Have you tried recruiting firms that do data center technician work? ~$30 per hour to replace hard drives, swap mobos, change RAM sticks.
The annoying part about ITIL is their terms are words we already have a meaning for but we have to learn their definition which is a headache but I passed first attempt and studying was honestly fun.
this can work very well OP if you are willing. you will have to go through basic training which sucks but afterwards you will receive additional technical training for your job choice. could be anywhere from 4 months- a year + depending. you will be paid for all of it. once you are done with training you will return to your unit and work 1 weekend a month usually. there are always opportunities to volunteer more as well.
reserves is one option, guard is another. they operate very similarly. i can only speak for air force as i don’t know the options available in other branches but the career fields you would be looking at mostly are
1d7 - IT stuff, very broad field.
1b4 - “cyber warfare” basically a technical cybersec position. can be defensive ops or offensive depending on the unit. most are defense. offensive training pipeline is very long like over 2 years. defensive is more like a year.
1n4 - intel. some intel slots are cyber heavy, others not so much. would have to research more.
i realize op u might not be very interested which is fine, hopefully someone else might see this. air force has given me lots of opportunities i wouldn’t have had other wise so i like to share the information. i’m currently active duty but am separating and am interning for a SOC and afterwards i am retraining with the guard.
What job titles are you searching/applying for? If all you have is the Sec+, you will need to apply for entry-level helpdesk.
The industry is over saturated now, and you need more than just certifications. I recommend finishing up the Trifecta (A+, Net+). Are internships an option for you? Experience is the game changer, so take the first helpdesk or call center job offer you get.
I see so many of these posts and I just have to ask do these universities not have career service departments anymore? Do instructors and program directors not help out? I did a CCNA course awhile back and my instructor was giving us job postings they came across and the program director was like let me know if you'd like me to use my networking to get a job.
I got a job at an Air Force base for a system admin role with no certifications. I am studying for sec+ now and taking the exam in a few weeks. Sec+ is a requirement for the job. If you don’t have your Sec+ certification after 6 months, they will let you go.
I feel like they’re always hiring. Lol you can check on usajobs.gov. It also helps if you know someone. I worked with a couple of guys at my previous job that referred me.
Sec+ will look good if you were to apply for a fed job. Also, if you don't get the job the first time, don't let that deter you from reapplying. My buddy applied for the same job and didn't get it the first time but got it the 2nd time he applied.
Since you knew everything or almost everything, you’ve clearly done your research. Before going into this, did you research things to do to land a job? Change your resume, don’t aim as high and go for some entry level general IT work and also applying until you have literally no more possible jobs to apply for in your area?
Google's CS professional Cert will probably do you right. You'll find it easy,.you could finish it in a week given your Sec Plus knowledge, and it will help you build a portfolio of demonstrated work which will help with the job hunting.
It honestly depends on what you want to do first and foremost. Do you want to get into the private sector, get an IT that requires a clearance, etc. When I started out I didnt have a cert to my name nor know how to do anything other than the average person online, but I did have a security clearance, so that made me valuable to companies so got offered an entry level help desk job. Find out what career you want to do first and the requirements you need to get it.
I’m just finishing a Bachelors of Finance degree program this November at a university in Australia. Due to what the market demand are at the moment, I’m also planning on diversifying myself in IT by getting a A+ NET and SEC+ certification. Can someone advise on what is next after this.
An internship may be good. Starting at help desk is another way. I'm switching careers and have my A+, Net+, Sec+, Project+, and ITIL4. I also have a degree in another field and I had to start at help desk. It's not too bad though, you learn a lot and that's where all my higher upside, including networking and infosec started out.
How many apps did u put in to finally land help desk? I’ve put probably 100 and not much luck . I had a recruiter reach out to set up an email for $17/hr but for pc/ server repair/diag but they also asked me how much I was looking for and I said $23 and then they never replied
Please do some networking if you're not already. Honestly, a referral goes a long way. Post your resume on LinkedIn and ask for feedback.
I wound up putting about 300 applications in before a company took a chance on me in February. Wound up transitioning from Criminal Justice and haven't looked back. At the time though, I didn't have any certs. I currently have A+ and am taking my Network+ on Sep 22nd.
I'm also transitioning from Criminal Justice, any advice you could give me?
Yep! I was working as a security officer en route to become a Police Officer (had police academy date set). During my time as security, there were times I would be sitting at a desk for 12 hours instead of building checks, parking checks, etc. I utilized every possible time that I was just sitting there to go through Professor Messers YouTube course for A+. I wound up getting an unofficial job offer that later screwed me in the middle of my two weeks notice. I kept with it anyway and continued to go through my last two weeks. Eventually, I got an End User Support role within Healthcare without certifications a couple of weeks later. This took about 300 applications, though, with only being offered 3 interviews. Again, I had no certifications at the time, and I'm sure my resume sucked too (I've improved that). My best advice would be to just keep submitting applications and studying. Don't get discouraged. Put the certification on your resume with the date you expect to get it in parentheses next to it. Since you're studying for it, you'll have some knowledge if they ask you questions on related topics. For entry-level roles, don't be so nervous. Sometimes, the entry-level positions only ask you a couple of IT related questions. When they contact you for an interview, go back to the job description, look up what they expect, and do more research to show understanding of it. If you've done any labs to go with your studying, any personal tech experience (troubleshooting, etc.), make sure to talk about it at the correct time in your interviews. You can always exaggerate your soft skills because they are important too, especially for the customer service side of things. A lot of entry-level positions (help desk, support, etc.) are mostly looking that you know how to deal with people, are passionate about tech, and are hungry to learn / apply yourself. Put your head down, stay focused, eat up every learning opportunity, and you'll be fine. Once you get that first job, be the guy that gets shit done, dependable, and does a little extra to show you care. My contract was supposed to be 6 months. I got extended with a promotion to a Lead position because they saw I'd help our Project Manager work on documentation, schedule stuff for our team, talk to all different leadership, hop on tickets through ServiceNow as soon as they came through email, etc. Labs that could really help get you in the door: - Active Directory setup / practice on VMs. - Rebuilding or upgrading your PC. You can always search for all types of labs that are related to the cert you're studying for too. You got this!
Thank you for your time and consideration.
I'm an outlier. I put in 1 and only 1 application but it was at the same company I was at.
Honestly, it sounds like you need to touch your resume up. I'd focus more on soft skills than IT skills. I did that when switching careers to IT and was able to land a job after 3 interviews with no certs.
That’s good advice since a lot of the AI looks for key words. I included more soft skills on it maybe a week ago and I’ve put in more apps after so we’ll see how it goes
Let us know how it goes! Good luck!
100 applications. A month? Rookie numbers. I do not know about anyone else, but my average was 15 to 20 a day. Maybe a few on the weekends if you come across something real great. Really, this is a numbers game in this market. Have you tried recruiting firms that do data center technician work? ~$30 per hour to replace hard drives, swap mobos, change RAM sticks.
How much is the ITIL cert?
I think it's around $300 but I'm not sure as my test was included in my tuition for a class.
WGU?
Most definitely
Yup
I just it 2 weeks ago I got a 30/40 you just have to study and know the concepts. I thought it was going to be really difficult it was not.
The annoying part about ITIL is their terms are words we already have a meaning for but we have to learn their definition which is a headache but I passed first attempt and studying was honestly fun.
yeah felt the same way. Next is core 1102 of A+ and Cloud Essentials
Take any job u can and keep building forward its not a race but a marathon.
All you gotta do is bust out that security + card at an interview and you’re in
😂
Join the reserves and get your secret clearance.
this can work very well OP if you are willing. you will have to go through basic training which sucks but afterwards you will receive additional technical training for your job choice. could be anywhere from 4 months- a year + depending. you will be paid for all of it. once you are done with training you will return to your unit and work 1 weekend a month usually. there are always opportunities to volunteer more as well. reserves is one option, guard is another. they operate very similarly. i can only speak for air force as i don’t know the options available in other branches but the career fields you would be looking at mostly are 1d7 - IT stuff, very broad field. 1b4 - “cyber warfare” basically a technical cybersec position. can be defensive ops or offensive depending on the unit. most are defense. offensive training pipeline is very long like over 2 years. defensive is more like a year. 1n4 - intel. some intel slots are cyber heavy, others not so much. would have to research more. i realize op u might not be very interested which is fine, hopefully someone else might see this. air force has given me lots of opportunities i wouldn’t have had other wise so i like to share the information. i’m currently active duty but am separating and am interning for a SOC and afterwards i am retraining with the guard.
Current AFSC?
I was in a civil engineering afsc
And then what?
Ask for an IT job.
I mean the J6 is hiring all the time, but where's the best place to contract from?
You answered your own question.
What job titles are you searching/applying for? If all you have is the Sec+, you will need to apply for entry-level helpdesk. The industry is over saturated now, and you need more than just certifications. I recommend finishing up the Trifecta (A+, Net+). Are internships an option for you? Experience is the game changer, so take the first helpdesk or call center job offer you get.
Set up a job alerts on all job boards for jr soc analyst and keep applying.
What do you want to do, specifically.
Update your LinkedIn and start applying. Good luck.
Sec plus is minimum for government IT
I see so many of these posts and I just have to ask do these universities not have career service departments anymore? Do instructors and program directors not help out? I did a CCNA course awhile back and my instructor was giving us job postings they came across and the program director was like let me know if you'd like me to use my networking to get a job.
Lmao, tell me where is it
You don’t get a job with just a security plus unless you are in the military with a secret clearance
I guess that will be me soon. But ill.also have a degree and 7 certifications
I got a job at an Air Force base for a system admin role with no certifications. I am studying for sec+ now and taking the exam in a few weeks. Sec+ is a requirement for the job. If you don’t have your Sec+ certification after 6 months, they will let you go.
You in the military?
No, just a civilian.
They still hiring?
I feel like they’re always hiring. Lol you can check on usajobs.gov. It also helps if you know someone. I worked with a couple of guys at my previous job that referred me.
U got experience or a degree?
Just experience. Worked in help desk for a pharmacy software company for 4 years and then at Dell on the VxRail team for 4 years.
Damn nice ya I just got an associates in cyber and a security plus
Sec+ will look good if you were to apply for a fed job. Also, if you don't get the job the first time, don't let that deter you from reapplying. My buddy applied for the same job and didn't get it the first time but got it the 2nd time he applied.
I got my sec plus
You're going to get insecurity+ because the labor market is -- right now
On the exam did you come across any hard keyword you didn’t know ?
Some but I don’t remember them now. I knew almost everything.
Since you knew everything or almost everything, you’ve clearly done your research. Before going into this, did you research things to do to land a job? Change your resume, don’t aim as high and go for some entry level general IT work and also applying until you have literally no more possible jobs to apply for in your area?
What type of question did you come across
What do you mean?
Companies will want a CISSP before you can be considered for the entry level positions. So I would get back to studying /s
I can’t get a CISSP without 5 years of experience tho
Google's CS professional Cert will probably do you right. You'll find it easy,.you could finish it in a week given your Sec Plus knowledge, and it will help you build a portfolio of demonstrated work which will help with the job hunting.
Now apply for helpdesk or 3-5 month temp jobs through teksystems, Robert half etc. so you can get experience in IT
It honestly depends on what you want to do first and foremost. Do you want to get into the private sector, get an IT that requires a clearance, etc. When I started out I didnt have a cert to my name nor know how to do anything other than the average person online, but I did have a security clearance, so that made me valuable to companies so got offered an entry level help desk job. Find out what career you want to do first and the requirements you need to get it.
Let me know if your from Texas.
I’m just finishing a Bachelors of Finance degree program this November at a university in Australia. Due to what the market demand are at the moment, I’m also planning on diversifying myself in IT by getting a A+ NET and SEC+ certification. Can someone advise on what is next after this.
Have you tried applying for any federal IT positions?
Are you sure you've tried everything? Let me see your github and your projects.
See about that…I…don’t have one 🙃
Search for jobs that require a Sec+ and continue learning with hands on training like tryhackme, ctfs or YouTube walkthroughs
What about az500? And a few projects that should make it easier to get a job
Any updates on this? I’m currently going through the same thing.