How does Endorsement process through (ISC)2 work?

OctalDump

I am seriously considering the SSCP or CISSP, but I don't personally know any (ISC)2 certified people, so I would need to have (ISC)2 do the endorsement.

Has anyone gone through this process? How does it work? What information would I need to provide? I am not 100% sure if one previous employer would be co-operative beyond a brief phone call.

Alternatively, anyone want to endorse me?

TacoRocket

From what I've seen with coworkers, you put the paperwork in and as long as everything is kosher then you're good.

OctalDump wrote: »

I am seriously considering the SSCP or CISSP, but I don't personally know any (ISC)2 certified people, so I would need to have (ISC)2 do the endorsement.

Has anyone gone through this process? How does it work? What information would I need to provide? I am not 100% sure if one previous employer would be co-operative beyond a brief phone call.

Alternatively, anyone want to endorse me?

jelevated

Go through the CISSP exam as an associate of ISC2, that'll give you 5-6 years to earn the experience, but you can apply any time you want. If your experience isn't kosher for whatever reason, assuming your currently in a security related job, worst case if you have to wait a little bit of time equal to the time you would've claimed from the difficult employer.

OctalDump

TacoRocket wrote: »

From what I've seen with coworkers, you put the paperwork in and as long as everything is kosher then you're good.

Just to be clear, that was with the ISC2 endorsement process and not with a "normal" endorsement using a coworker with CISSP or similar to endorse you?

OctalDump

jelevated wrote: »

Go through the CISSP exam as an associate of ISC2, that'll give you 5-6 years to earn the experience, but you can apply any time you want. If your experience isn't kosher for whatever reason, assuming your currently in a security related job, worst case if you have to wait a little bit of time equal to the time you would've claimed from the difficult employer.

Yeah, the waiting is what I am hoping to avoid. Are you suggesting that I just try, and if ISC2 won't endorse because they can't confirm details, then to just stick it out for a couple more years to get more experience?

Danielm7

If you already have the required experience they're supposed to verify it, call past jobs, etc. I don't know anyone who has done it that way so I don't know if they really do call everyone or just look over your resume but that's what is supposed to happen.

dhay13

A co-worked went that route. Not sure if they contacted his previous employers but he definitely had the required experience and it took him about 5-6 weeks, same as mine, oh, and he endorsed me when I took it a few months later.

PJ_Sneakers

You're going to have to wait one way or the other. I used (ISC)2 as my endorser, and it took 6 weeks. Almost exactly.

EDIT: If you don't have the requisite work history they will put you in Associate status. I don't see a reason not to attempt to get endorsed if you feel you meet the pre-reqs.

Offtopic

Can anyone clarify if I am supposed to see any notification on the isc2 website when endorser has submitted the endorsement?
Or am i supposed to get an email from isc2 confirming start of post endorsement process? If yes Immediately or after how many days?

dhay13

When my co-worker submitted mine I got an email right away saying it had been submitted by him. Is that what you are asking?

OctalDump

PJ_Sneakers wrote: »

You're going to have to wait one way or the other. I used (ISC)2 as my endorser, and it took 6 weeks. Almost exactly.

What kind of documentation did you supply? Just the resume details of the roles, how long, domains covered, employer contact details? Or did you need to supply documentation from previous employers?

jelevated

OctalDump wrote: »

Yeah, the waiting is what I am hoping to avoid. Are you suggesting that I just try, and if ISC2 won't endorse because they can't confirm details, then to just stick it out for a couple more years to get more experience?

Yes but only if you take the exam towards the associate of ISC2, you have a six year time frame to complete your experience requirement, very generous . If you take it towards immediate CISSP status, you only get 9 months to complete your experience requirements.

Once you pass you can put something such as "Designations: Associate of (ISC)2" and on a separate line, " Passed CISSP Examination ". Don't be like the folks who say "Associate of (ISC)2 CISSP". This isn't an actual certification (though many try to pass it off as such).
Oh and if you are DoD, Passing the CISSP exam toward Associate of ISC2 status is acceptable towards meeting the certification requirement.

TheFORCE

Offtopic wrote: »

Can anyone clarify if I am supposed to see any notification on the isc2 website when endorser has submitted the endorsement?
Or am i supposed to get an email from isc2 confirming start of post endorsement process? If yes Immediately or after how many days?

You will get an email for any changes in your status, once confirmed and verified and endorsed you will see your certification in the website.

bigdogz

Here is the process from what I recall:
1) Pass exam.

2) Find a sponsor (friend or coworker who is a current standing member of ISC2) or use ISC2 to sponsor you. If you want to look for sponsorship, start going to ISSA and ISC2 chapter meetings.

3) Fill out the application. The application does have a portion where you may include your employment history but they would also like a resume.

4) If you find a sponsor, he/she has to verify your employment and how your employment ties to the domains or if you have the one year waiver qualifications. (Bachelors degree or particular certification such as Security + CE)

5) You will receive a notification once your sponsor sends in your application.

6) After 2+ weeks you may have to 'scratch an itch' and call ISC2 where you will receive an email to read something of the effect "We are still processing your application".

7) You will receive an email (in most cases) being the first in congratulating you on becoming certified. (CHECK YOUR JUNK MAIL FOLDER !!!)

I hope this helps....
Good Luck !!!

Offtopic

Guys
Thanks for confirmig details of endorsement process. Good thing I asked for it, the isc2 email was sitting in junk mail!

bigdogz

Offtopic,

I just added that comment in my previous thread just in case...

PJ_Sneakers

OctalDump wrote: »

What kind of documentation did you supply? Just the resume details of the roles, how long, domains covered, employer contact details? Or did you need to supply documentation from previous employers?

Yes, basically. I put together a very pared-down and purpose-specific resume based on job title/functions and mapped them to the CBK domains. I submitted that with a letter from my manager on company letterhead that simply verified that I was employed by them for the stated time frame with the stated job titles.

I made sure to match the resume to the domains and to match the resume to the letter. Does that make sense?

Of course, this was for (ISC)2 to act as my endorser.

OctalDump

PJ_Sneakers wrote: »

I submitted that with a letter from my manager on company letterhead that simply verified that I was employed by them for the stated time frame with the stated job titles.

OK, so that is the bit which might be a problem for me. A phone call confirmation is likely, but a letter is not. I'll reach out to previous previous employer and see if they are comfortable with providing something for the 4 years I need.

Based on what jelevated says, it would probably be best for me to take the exam as Associate of ISC2 and then worry about the endorsement later, since I'll have greater flexibility.

Thanks to all who've replied. It has been very useful.

AndyLien79

Try getting a letter from the HR department from your previous companies. They usually provide those for voe's.

PJ_Sneakers

OctalDump wrote: »

OK, so that is the bit which might be a problem for me. A phone call confirmation is likely, but a letter is not. I'll reach out to previous previous employer and see if they are comfortable with providing something for the 4 years I need.

Based on what jelevated says, it would probably be best for me to take the exam as Associate of ISC2 and then worry about the endorsement later, since I'll have greater flexibility.

Thanks to all who've replied. It has been very useful.

I've read on TE that a letter from a co worker will also work.

dhay13

My last employer has a strict policy of not providing any information so I told my endorser that it may be difficult to get anything from them. I have worked with him for a few years now so he was confident in my honesty of what I have done. I even questioned him on whether or not he felt some of my experience applied to certain domains so I was as honest as I could be about the whole process. I had read that ISC2 mainly only requires employment dates so not sure how deep they dig but knew if they contacted my last employer they would get nothing.

t93cobra

dhay13 wrote: »

My last employer has a strict policy of not providing any information so I told my endorser that it may be difficult to get anything from them.

My last employer is extremely strict also. Their HR department won’t perform verification of employment, they utilize a third party company to do that for them. Anyone wanting to verify I worked there would have to contact this third party and also submit a small fee. It’s also against company policy for managers to provide verification.

I wonder if ISC2 will update their endorsement process as more companies follow this path of employment verification.