Law Enforcement to IT transition?

turbopar

Hello everyone! Sorry for the length of the post...

I've been on the forums a bit and finally got around to making an account because I have a burning question.

I am currently a law enforcement officer (uniformed patrol) with a bachelors in Criminology. I am looking to transition to the IT field because there is just something appealing about being reasonably sure you will come home at night with no more holes in your body than you left with. And the stress is wreaking havoc on myself and my family.

I have no formal education in IT however I have done some retail work where I did PC repairs in addition to sales, and I had a small business of computer repair for a number of years that I used for extra cash during school. My weakness is in web stuff (HTML, ect.), and programming and high-level math required by Comp Sci degrees, although I don't really have an interest in either.

I would like to do something in information/cyber or network security, fraud, forensics, or IT auditing/compliance. Private or public sector. I know the above isn't entry level, but those are the fields I want to work towards. I just don't know where to begin. Do I need another bachelors to be competitive? Do I go
for my A+ and start back at the bottom with help desk stuff? Is my current experience and education irrelevant or unhelpful to pursuing IT?

There are not a whole lot of opportunities at my current employer or most of my state for public sector work in the above. Most is Federal or private sector.

My other career option is a masters in Accounting and a minor in "Industrial Systems and Operations Management" from University of Florida, and pursue a CPA - but that is a 3 year ordeal minimum and LOTS of student loans.

I appreciate anyone's advice! Thanks

tkerber

Well I think there's one thing to note and that is in my knowledge, IT is all about experience. Your degree and current job situation aren't 'useless', however they're not necessarily going to help boost you to a high level IT position with the help of certifications. I would also have to say depending on where you currently are salary wise will have a lot to do with your transition. I know some officers get paid very well and some not... However, one thing I've came across when talking to people changing careers to IT is that you will most likely have to start towards the bottom.

Now to the positive side of things. I personally think you should look into community colleges and technical colleges. I recently graduated with an AAS in Networking Administration and it cost me 9k, however I also got about 4k back in government education credits so when all was said and done I had my degree paid off in full for about 5k. I also picked up a few certs on the way and since I took night classes I met several professionals that were already in IT and actually got job offers from a few of them that I ended up taking. To top it off there are several programs through most of the state universities to transfer my degree into a BA or BS.

If you have any other questions or need any help feel free to message me.

Fidelity

turbopar wrote: »

being reasonably sure you will come home at night

You'll come home. That's for sure. It just might not be the same day that you went to work. I think the only field that works more crazy hours than IT folks are ICU/ER Doctors and nurses.

Do I need another bachelors to be competitive?

No way. You already have one Bachelors degree and that is good enough. This field is about experience. The degree generally just gets you the leverage needed to move into management later in your career.

Do I go for my A+ and start back at the bottom with help desk stuff? Is my current experience and education irrelevant or unhelpful to pursuing IT?

It is incredibly rare to start in the IT field without first working Helpdesk - so you might as well consider that your first step as if it's guaranteed. Then you can be super excited if you get a job doing something else instead. The A+ is really basic material and you can most likely skip it because you used to do computer repair so you should know that material. I would suggest starting with Network+.

the_Grinch

I made the move from law enforcement (Federal) to IT albeit my degree is in IT. As others have said the experience will be the big thing for you. I will say be prepared for the pay cut. I know I took a pretty heavy hit when I got out so it's best to be ready for it. Your law enforcement background can really only serve to help you especially in the area of forensics. My suggestion (as others have said) would be to start looking at a few certs and start applying. In particular I would suggest law firms because your mix of technical knowledge and criminal justice will put you in just the right position for eDiscovery/forensics. Also, I think you would be perfect for compliance/auditing (which is what I do right now).

JoJoCal19

From what I've seen, ex LEOs have an easier "in" to digital forensics than those of us with no prior LE work or previous digital forensic experience.

stryder144

First thing I would do is pretty simple: discover which sector of IT you are most interested in. To accomplish that, you can purchase/borrow books that cover the following main areas of IT: Computer repair (A+ which you already have experience in...rereading about it will either spark a desire or shut you down cold), Deskside Support (any decent Windows 7/8 certification book), Servers (any decent Linux and Windows Servers books will do, I'd suggest a Linux+ book and at least one Windows Server 2008 book), Networking (any decently rated Network+ or CCENT book), Security (any decently rated Security+ or even a good CISSP/GSEC book), and Virtualization (VMware vSphere or a general virtualization book...there are plenty of decent books available).

Once you've gone through a decent sampling of each area, you'll know where to target your studies for certification. That will save you both time and money. Additionally, try to figure out how to add a little bit more experience...a good place to start is by finding a local nonprofit and seeing if you can be helpful. While your doing both, consider posting to a personal blog that outlines what you're learning and how you are applying that info. Cross post to Linkedin and you will see your prospects take a turn for the better (IT-wise).

Cheers

pinkydapimp

I would definitely look to get into some of the following. With your experience you can leverage that into something dealing with cyber crime. I might consider doing a masters in cybersecurity. It would only be 2 years and should get you an in with your experience.

• Legal, Regulations, Investigations and Compliance – addresses computer crime laws and regulations; the investigative measures and techniques which can be used to determine if a crime has been committed and methods to gather evidence.
  • Legal issues
  • Investigations
  • Forensic procedures
  • Compliance requirements/procedures

J_86

Former LE here. Law Enforcement was my "first" career choice before I got into IT. When I started to make the switch, I took classes at my local community collage during the day (when I worked 3rd shift) or at night when I moved to days. From then I worked part-time at a help desk and night (while still working full time for the department I worked for) and then got my first full time IT job. I took a pay cut for sure at first. You might not escape the stress level in IT, depending on what kind of work you do, but it is for sure a different kind of stress. Not the "I'm I going to come home a live" kind, but it can be very stressful sometimes. Being on call, dealing with a number of high priority issues at once, difficult people, etc.
I'll echo what others have said, forensics might be a good move given your LE background. Just be sure it's something you really want to do and weigh the pros and cons, especially considering you have a family to support. Good luck!