#CareerAdvice #Cybersecurity #Networking #ITExperience
Hey everyone! 👋 I need some advice on the path I should take after I graduate from community college with an AS in cybersecurity. Here’s a little background info:
– I’ll be graduating in May 2025 at 21 years old.
– I have 30 transferrable credits but the degree doesn’t transfer to a university.
– I’m torn between transferring to a 4-year for Computer Information Systems or getting the A+ certification and looking for a help-desk job.
– My ultimate goal is to become a network security engineer.
So, what do you think I should focus on: gaining practical experience or getting a degree? 🤔 Here are some possible solutions:
– Consider internships or entry-level positions in cybersecurity to gain hands-on experience.
– Pursue industry certifications like CompTIA Security+ or Cisco CCNA to enhance your skill set.
– Research universities with co-op programs that offer a combination of classroom learning and real-world work experience.
Let me know your thoughts and what path you think would be best for me! 🎓💻 #CareerDecisions #FutureGoals #CybersecurityCareer
Get the degree and get the university experience. It can be invaluable in networking with others. Also make sure you get an internship that will get you hands-on experience. Participate in class, meet with professors if you need help, or have questions. Attend tutor sessions with TAs if needed. Take practice interviews at your university’s career center.
Work on your soft skills; there are so many IT professionals who cannot write or give a presentation, let alone communicate effectively to users/C-levels, etc. This will get you ahead.
Shrug WGU while you go get experience is the real answer.
The “university experience” certainly is not worth the $$$$ it takes.
I think IT degrees are way over rated vs experience.
I don’t hold them against people, but in IT…..
You have to be able to teach yourself so many things.
Largely you are expected to read the manual, instead of being provided training.
Especially in networking and cyber security.
I can kind of relate. (I always wanted to be in tech) Graduated high school in 2018, took a year thinking I can do it all myself get my A+, get a job, and everything. Couldn’t do it so I went and got my Associates in Cyber Security and graduated 2021. Decided not to go for my BA even though got accepted. I wanted to see if an AA was enough to get into the field. It took me 3 months and 1000+ resumes to get a job as help desk II.
I stayed there for 4 months because of an understanding that help desk was just to grow, worked as a support engineer for another 2 years and just started a new position as a systems engineer (also took me 3 months).
There are a couple things you need to consider:
Is a bachelors a life goal or just a paper? If its just a paper then I suggest seeing if you can get a job between your AA and going for a BA unless you are worried that in the future the difference between the two degrees will cost you a job.
Are you willing to make finding a job a full time job. Checking every site, applying to 30+ jobs a day. Its mentally draining these days but you push through it.
I do not have a certification BUT every certification I have studied I put on my resume. The jobs I landed all gave me credit for putting my learnings of certification without the degree. I have had times where interviewers said “You studied so and so cert let me ask you a question on it.” so just make sure you know your stuff.
Regarding your resume: You can put college projects, learnings, and you can tern non technical jobs into useful skills for example if you worked at a clothing store: customer support, clients satisfaction, managing inventory and things like that.
BTW big tip for help desk interview IMO: Know your protocols (IP, DNS, HTTP/S, DHCP), how to troubleshoot network, slowness, and wont turn on issues.
Two things I regret: 1. not caring about what I learnt in college so I did not get any certification. If I took the certs after every semester I would have like 10 certs. 2. not trying harder to find an internship during college cause now I might want to shift into cyber security but the only way I can see myself doing that is starting on another team and moving inside a company (which is fine to start).
Hope this helps.
>does not transfer over to a university.
Pick a different school.
>spending another 3-4 years at the university
Pick a different school. Really. If you are spending 6 years on a 4 year education, you’re doing it wrong.
But then you say you have 30 transferrable credits. So which is it? Because I still would not want to spend another 4 years in college when it should only be 2. This assoc degree does not sound like a good value.
> t I’d like to have a job and get some experience as well.
That what internships are for. Do the 4 year degree.
Excellent. A+ for jobs onlyif in market for it support job