Navy IT - Want to work in the civilian sector

New to the forum, so here are my greetings lol.

I'd like to work in the civilian sector soon as an IT but i don't know how to go about this. I've been in the Navy for about 2 years now and im getting out in about a year or so , so i want to prepare myself for the civilian world now. Most of my experience in the Navy has been mostly dealing with help desk work and simple trouble calls(install printer, software installs, unlocking accounts) and because of that i still feel that im newbie when comes to IT stuff..

Recently i've started working on other certs (i already have an A+ from a year and half ago) to expand my IT knowledge and better my chances on getting a job once i get out. So far im looking at getting a Network+/Security+ certification and then work my way up the Cisco certifications. Hopefully ill have CCNA and MAYBE CCNP by the time i get out. I also plan to get a degree in Computer Science when i get out .

I also have a Secret Clearance giving to me by the Navy . im not sure on how much this would help me land a job.

on to the question..

With my limited experience , what do you guys suggest i do to find a more advanced IT job that pays more and gain more hands on experience.

thank you in advance

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Comments

stryder144

First, welcome to the forum. Second, I think you are on the right track. Getting additional certs will help your chances of getting an IT job in the civilian sector. You might want to consider getting an operating system cert, too. Especially if you want to get into the civilian contractor world that the government relies on so much.

nothimagain

stryder144 wrote: »

First, welcome to the forum. Second, I think you are on the right track. Getting additional certs will help your chances of getting an IT job in the civilian sector. You might want to consider getting an operating system cert, too. Especially if you want to get into the civilian contractor world that the government relies on so much.

Thank you. Actually i'd try being a contractor but the majority of them work in heavy Military areas(Virginia,San Diego, Hawaii) im looking to move back to NJ/NYC area.

I've also thought about getting Linux+. I've heard a lot of companies are switching to Linux now.

stryder144

Well, this information is definitely helpful. What areas of IT interest you the most? The answer to that question, plus the use of websites like indeed.com, will help you to focus your learning and certification goals. Since you mentioned the NJ/NYC area, I would look at skipping the Network+ and just filling that space with the CCNA (nearly equivalent cost but the CCNA is going to pop up in more job postings). I would also get the Security+ or the SSCP. After that, I would look at possibly getting the VCP-DCV and/or MCSA: Windows Server 2012. As for Linux+, I think you'll find very few postings asking for that certification. The knowledge needed to attain it is valuable, but the ROI for the cert itself isn't that great.

nothimagain

stryder144 wrote: »

Well, this information is definitely helpful. What areas of IT interest you the most? The answer to that question, plus the use of websites like indeed.com, will help you to focus your learning and certification goals. Since you mentioned the NJ/NYC area, I would look at skipping the Network+ and just filling that space with the CCNA (nearly equivalent cost but the CCNA is going to pop up in more job postings). I would also get the Security+ or the SSCP. After that, I would look at possibly getting the VCP-DCV and/or MCSA: Windows Server 2012. As for Linux+, I think you'll find very few postings asking for that certification. The knowledge needed to attain it is valuable, but the ROI for the cert itself isn't that great.

Not sure what id be interested since all im done is trouble calls.. Security/network egineering seems interesting to me but im not sure whats really in need out there..

Also the reason im getting Net+ is more for the knowledge since i know almost nothing about IT . Felt like i needed to build a foumdation .

stryder144

Many people would say that the ICDN1 (CCENT) is a vendor specific cert that is on the same level as the Network+. As such, most of the advice that I've seen is to only pursue it if your job requires it. I got mine because I was trying to build a strong, vendor-neutral IT foundation. Initially, I didn't figure I would go down the Cisco track but have decided that doing so would provide me with the greatest opportunities. If you find value in it, by all means pursue it as no one will fault you for having it. Good luck.

nothimagain

stryder144 wrote: »

Many people would say that the ICDN1 (CCENT) is a vendor specific cert that is on the same level as the Network+. As such, most of the advice that I've seen is to only pursue it if your job requires it. I got mine because I was trying to build a strong, vendor-neutral IT foundation. Initially, I didn't figure I would go down the Cisco track but have decided that doing so would provide me with the greatest opportunities. If you find value in it, by all means pursue it as no one will fault you for having it. Good luck.

i took your advice regarding CCENT and i must say im pretty happy i did so.. The network+ book i was reading by Todd Lammel was not working out for me and i've since then started reading a CCENT/CCNA book . Everythings been coming really easy to me so far. Hopefully i can get the CCENT and CCNA within these next 6 months.

How would one get their foot for a network engineering job? It seems that'd be easier than landing a security job.

Blackout

Have you formally requested any advance C Schools? There are a few out there that translate very well to the outside. CCNA would be a huge step, and some OJT with the CTN's if you can get in with them.

andSo

nothimagain wrote: »

New to the forum, so here are my greetings lol.

I'd like to work in the civilian sector soon as an IT but i don't know how to go about this. I've been in the Navy for about 2 years now and im getting out in about a year or so , so i want to prepare myself for the civilian world now. Most of my experience in the Navy has been mostly dealing with help desk work and simple trouble calls(install printer, software installs, unlocking accounts) and because of that i still feel that im newbie when comes to IT stuff..

Recently i've started working on other certs (i already have an A+ from a year and half ago) to expand my IT knowledge and better my chances on getting a job once i get out. So far im looking at getting a Network+/Security+ certification and then work my way up the Cisco certifications. Hopefully ill have CCNA and MAYBE CCNP by the time i get out. I also plan to get a degree in Computer Science when i get out .

I also have a Secret Clearance giving to me by the Navy . im not sure on how much this would help me land a job.

on to the question..

With my limited experience , what do you guys suggest i do to find a more advanced IT job that pays more and gain more hands on experience.

thank you in advance

I'm not too familiar with enlisted career transitions (as I work on the darkside with the officers). However, I would consider applying for a government position via usajobs.gov - doing the same job you did in the Navy. This will at least hold you over until you move into the private sector. All is not lost if you are "stuck" in the public sector working in IT. The salary growth potential for aspiring IT professionals is tremendous in this sector (though it may take a few years more than say a private sector counterpart to get there).

But before you pull the trigger and start your transition, try to obtain all the "tools" you need while serving in the Navy (e.g. additional certifications). If you're interested in a degree in computer science, my recommendation is Oregon State University's online computer science program. If you want to work more on the business side of IT, go for an online information technology program. If you still require prerequisites (as many similar programs require completion of at least 2 years of college), start getting after them now and set yourself up for success!

What would I do if I were in your situation?

I would consider remaining in service for at least another 2 years to build up work experience and develop basic leadership skills. I would also look into becoming an officer; this will help accelerate your leadership and/or management skills. Along the way to becoming an officer, you would have earned your bachelor's degree. When you see your first paycheck, your response may be "holy...that's $$$$!" Now here's what I would do after that point.

I would wait a year before looking into graduate school (you really want to hit the ground running and focusing on your job your first go). Once you're settled in as an officer with 1-2 years under your belt, start preparing for graduate study. If you still decide to transition out, start your planning 12-18 months in advance (I do not recommend telling your chain of command that you want to get out that far in advance - this could make life overly complicated - because they may hand you boring assignments and/or give zero f-bombs about your evaluation report since you will be a loss to them). When you have about 8 months from the date you plan to leave - that's when you submit your paperwork! From there, recruiting firms galore will reach out to you as a candidate (some are highly selective and worth their weight in gold, but all headhunt young officers before we become corrupted by "The Man."

I've had a lot of success on LinkedIn with recruiters (I recommend you give it a go). I never had to reach out and contact a recruiter while using LinkedIn; they simply did their own search for what they're looking for -but LinkedIn is only what you make of it (Garbage In, Garbage Out)! My recommendation is to pay for a professional photo of yourself and keep your profile information up to date. For profile information, keep it short and simple, no military jargon or acronyms, use bullet points with quantifiable information, and maybe in the Summary section a short snippet of your "sales pitch" or personal story.

Make sure you do some research on other opportunities in the Navy: Cyber Warfare, Intelligence, Information Warfare, Information Systems Technician, etc. Whether enlisted or officer, make sure you take advantage of all the opportunities available to you.

I hope this helps.

thaiguy314

To piggyback of andSo, use the military to your advantage. You're time in the military will count as experience which is super valuable, just make sure your resume matches your time i.e. find advanced courses to go to, start a project, ask for higher level responsibilities. You don't want to have 10 years of experience under your belt as the most extensive thing you've done is add a printer, haha. Also, try to squeeze out as many certs out of the Navy as you can. Thanks to 8570, the Army is throwing out vouchers like candy and you could potentially save yourself thousands. As an officer, I'm personally not crazy about it (99% planning and administrative stuff, rarely get to do the fun technical stuff-at least on the Army side) but the money is good and you're typically in a better position to make changes as opposed to sitting around and take stuff.

As far as getting a civilian job, I'd recommend you go reserves after active duty which will help keep your clearance current, get a small supplemental check every month, still have access to vouchers and then check out clearancejobs.com. It's how I got my Information Assurance Engineer position. They hone in specifically on IT people with clearances, helps narrow the focus and makes you easier to find.

Also, plan out the certs you want to get from easiest to hardest and narrow your focus on whether you want to do networking/sys admin stuff or InfoSec so you don't waste your time jumping around in between as opposed to streamlining your career. It'll save you some time and grief and get you where you want faster. Trust me. This was all learned the hard way for me, haha.

aftereffector

I'll second clearancejobs.com. I know of several people who have been employed based on that site alone. I'll also second everything else that thaiguy314 said about using your military time to your advantage. Don't do what I did and pay for certs on your own dime - make the Navy pay for that stuff! Certs are expensive, and I know the Army has a ton of vouchers; I'm sure the Navy does as well.

I transferred to the Reserves to keep some benefits flowing (the health care is much cheaper through the reserves, for one thing), and that's another decision that I would recommend considering.

Finally, you can definitely get a job with just a clearance, a Security+ certification, and a good attitude. That job will not pay six figures and it will probably not be in the NYC/NJ area, but if you get worried about finding a job on the outside, just know that you have plenty of options available.

MrAgent

Blackout wrote: »

Have you formally requested any advance C Schools? There are a few out there that translate very well to the outside. CCNA would be a huge step, and some OJT with the CTN's if you can get in with them.

OP would have to extend or re-enlist for a C school. OP is planning on getting out and is trying to figure out what the next steps are.

@OP: I am a former IT2. I was on board a ship where I initially worked in radio and then was transitioned over to EDP. If you can get moved to a different division, where you need an SCI, you will have a MUCH easier time finding a job, that is if you want to continue working in the government sector. Irregardless, you need to figure out what interests you in IT, and start learning as much as you can about that area. IT is very broad, and having a specialized skill set will help you out tremendously.

bpenn

In regards to USA Jobs, unless you have a degree or know somebody, your chances are extremely slim. I wont even bother applying for government jobs until I finish my degree in July. At least that is how it seems to be here in Florida.

Lamini

i do envy those around me that collect 1 more paycheck and other benefits, every, month. Especially since I would have retired a couple yrs ago if I stayed in. After doing nearly a decade of climbing up getting ranks, i plummeted back down (read: Staples/Best Buy). Keep that in mind, too. Leaving as a retired veteran = respect, benefits, etc.

*hint*

MagnumOpus

I don't know how you feel about the Security field, but a Security Clearance , Certs and IT experience will make you ripe for the picking. I think your future is quite bright if you leverage your skill sets accordingly.