Commercial vs Government Infosec jobs
Kalabaster
Member Posts: 86 ■■□□□□□□□□
So, I've been put in a position where I have to decide between two job opportunities. The one I have now is government sector at a small contracting firm for a good agency using a clearance for a decent entry level wage but in the DMV area (expensive to live in ). The other is purely private/commercial sector, it pays a bit more (~10k) and is in NC so it has a lower cost of living. I wanted to hear a bit more about each side of the infosec field. With my current spot, I keep my clearance and grind it a bit while supplementing my income consulting in my previous career field. With the other I get in at the ground level as a security analyst in a newish SOC for a huge presence in networking (and maybe networks security as well), Cisco.
TL;DR: What are the pros and cons of the infosec field in both the public and private sector compared to one another? Also, is it worth it to leave a decent spot in the government sector to pursue an opportunity in the commercial sector at a big name company, even if it requires relocation?
TL;DR: What are the pros and cons of the infosec field in both the public and private sector compared to one another? Also, is it worth it to leave a decent spot in the government sector to pursue an opportunity in the commercial sector at a big name company, even if it requires relocation?
Certifications: A+, Net+, Sec+, Project+, Linux+/LPIC-1/SUSE CLA, C|EH, eWPT, GMON, GWAPT, GCIH, eCPPT, GPEN, GXPN, OSCP, CISSP.
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Legend: Completed, In-Progress, Next
WGU, BS-IT, Security: C178, C255, C100, C132, C164, C173, C172, C480, C455, ORA1, C182, C168, C394, C393, C451, C698, C697, C176, C456, C483, C170, C175, C169, C299, C246, C247, C376, C179, C278, C459, C463, C435, C436.
Legend: Completed, In-Progress, Next
Comments
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guy9
Banned Posts: 59 ■■□□□□□□□□
I personally would never go commercial only because I don't want to loose my clearance after a few years of not having a company hold it. Interesting enough, I am going commercial but I have a part time weekend gig that holds my clearance. About 2 years ago I interviewed with Cisco for a SOC type role and backed out at the last minute. They have a lot of room for growth both educational and especially certification wise. I think it would look good on the resume as well....but in my case where I stay not having a clearance means I might be unemployed for a while