Career change / cert path question

esperlano

Hello!

I'm in my mid-30s and decided to go back to school a couple of years ago to get an IT degree, to change careers from a sales job (non-IT related.) I'll be graduating next year and need to find an internship between now and next fall.

My ultimate goal is to work in info sec, but have recently realized I should get the fundamentals under my belt before embarking on that path. I don't currently have any certs or any job experience in IT.

I'd love to start right out as a networking admin intern, but after sending out a bunch of resumes and cover letters I've yet to hear back. I'm wondering if I need to start out as like a help desk position first.

I'm also wondering which certs I need to go for before landing a good internship (or the help desk position, if that's recommended). I'm studying for the Microsoft Networking Fundamentals cert just to get something under my belt. After that, do I need to spend the time doing the A+ (seems like an awful lot of info I may never use - CPU sockets, bus speeds, etc?) or should I start with something like Network+ -> Security+ -> CCENT -> CCNA?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Lexluethar

If you want to be in info sec you best understand all layers of the OSI model. It's a tough job because you generally have to have a solid grasp of not only physical topology and vulnerabilities but you also have to understand it at the software level as well.

As a guideline I would suggest getting your Security+ to start out with. Once you have that I would do the Net+ then CCENT then CCNA Security. A+ doesn't really help a whole lot IMO (i have the A+ and went through this same process) and the Net+ has more real world implications (IE knowing how to subnet is probably more valuable than anything i've studied for in the A+).

As for a job, yes you need to start out small. Most companies will not hire you straight into any type of administrator role without prior experience. Try landing a NOC role or desktop support / help desk. During that time you will gain valuable knowledge on how things in IT are run (in general i realize you might land a crap job and not learn this) and you will get some experience under your belt. During that time don't fiddle your thumbs - you need to be studying your rear off and get those certifications. Once you have a year of experience and at least your CCENT i bet you can land a junior admin role and work your way up from there.

Just my two cents.

esperlano

Oh wow! Thanks for the great info. That's actually the exact opposite of what I thought the path should be, but it makes sense. I have two Security+ books already for when I was ready to study for it, and I've found the material less difficult than Network+ and A+, so that's good (might be because of the two security classes I've had so far).

I was leaning towards your assessment of A+, in that it might not help a whole lot, especially in relation to how many hours of studying it would cost; I was just worried that a lot of people say hiring managers won't consider you without an A+, and plus it would greatly benefit getting the potential help desk job.

Lexluethar

For sure, i mean i'm not saying the A+ doesn't have a place, i was just mentioning that for info sec an A+ really won't benefit a ton. You are right though, you need that first job and that first job probably will not be doing info sec stuff so having an A+ will help in that regard.

Russ5813

Hi esp. I was in your shoes a few months ago and actually followed a path similar to what Lex suggested. Got my BSIT, then Sec+, then decided to take a small break from the CompTIA study grind and got my ITIL Foundations. Now I'm back to studying for Net+. Couple observations from my experience: The BSIT should be more than enough to land an entry-level position (VOC/Help Desk, in my case). I agree with Lex that A+ is a fine cert but may not align with your long-term goals. Have you considered getting the ITIL-F cert at some point? I've seen many many entry/junior level IT positions that prefer (or require) ITIL knowledge/certs and have seen far fewer mention A+. ITIL-F also takes considerably less time to study for, and coming from someone who works/goes to school full-time/has a family/transitioning careers, I understand how valuable time is. It's worth doing some research for your area and see what KSA's and certs are in demand.

esperlano

Hi Russ,

Thanks so much for weighing in. I actually haven't heard of the ITIL before, but I'm going to look into it. It'd be great if it took somewhat less time than A+ to study for, especially as A+ doesn't really align with what I want to do over the long run, as Lex pointed out.

Just got a call from an IT staffing agency, looking for a helpdesk recruit. I'm going to meet with them and see what they've got to offer. It might be worth taking a helpdesk job for a year or so to get some experience on my resume. I hope it'd be worth it!