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Career milestone
Mooseboost
Member Posts: 778 ■■■■□□□□□□
It always seems that our career progressions are a combination of hard work, perseverance, and luck. As part of that, we must make sacrafices to better ourselves. Sometimes this means less time with our family, taking positions just for the experience, and sometimes giving a little bit of our health to move forward.
I made the shift to security from networking close to two years ago. Before that I worked in a NOC as a network technician for a small ISP. Back in those days, I was making under 25K a year. I want to persue a higher career and so I made my way up, trying to obtain a new skill set with each position to help me move up to my next one.
My first dedicated security position came earlier this year. Prior to this I was a jack-of-all trades engineer. My engineering experience coupled with a passion for security has served me well. Earlier this month I was promoted to a senior position within the same company. With this came a significant pay increase and will serve as a major catalyst for my career.
When I first started looking at my long term career goals, I wanted to be making six figures before my 30s. With this new position, I have achieved my goal. At 26 I am now making 115K a year. While it just barely over my long term goal, I have achieved it early.
Now, I know that this pay in a senior position is not uncommon with large companies. But this milestone means so much to me. Out of my family (3 brothers, one sister) - I am the only high school graduate. I do not have a college degree. No one else in my family even sees over 30K. I come from a family of small town factory workers. I never imagined that this was something that was even possible. In fact, I still sometimes expect to wake up and find this was a dream.
Some of the biggest advice I can give to people out there is to work for it. I don't mean study for a cert here or there - I mean push hard. I did not get here without a lot sacrafices. My commute is an hour and a half one way (this will do down when my husband finds a job down where I work) and for the last two years the majority of my free time has been spent studying and trying to better myself.
For anyone curious or who wants any advice, I will be more than happy to give it. I won't say that any of whatI have to say is the best but I want to see others succeed. Hell, I want them to do even better than me. I owe a lot of where I am to the community here. You guys have helped me study and keep motivated when I was burning out.
I love all of you guys. This is a great community.
I made the shift to security from networking close to two years ago. Before that I worked in a NOC as a network technician for a small ISP. Back in those days, I was making under 25K a year. I want to persue a higher career and so I made my way up, trying to obtain a new skill set with each position to help me move up to my next one.
My first dedicated security position came earlier this year. Prior to this I was a jack-of-all trades engineer. My engineering experience coupled with a passion for security has served me well. Earlier this month I was promoted to a senior position within the same company. With this came a significant pay increase and will serve as a major catalyst for my career.
When I first started looking at my long term career goals, I wanted to be making six figures before my 30s. With this new position, I have achieved my goal. At 26 I am now making 115K a year. While it just barely over my long term goal, I have achieved it early.
Now, I know that this pay in a senior position is not uncommon with large companies. But this milestone means so much to me. Out of my family (3 brothers, one sister) - I am the only high school graduate. I do not have a college degree. No one else in my family even sees over 30K. I come from a family of small town factory workers. I never imagined that this was something that was even possible. In fact, I still sometimes expect to wake up and find this was a dream.
Some of the biggest advice I can give to people out there is to work for it. I don't mean study for a cert here or there - I mean push hard. I did not get here without a lot sacrafices. My commute is an hour and a half one way (this will do down when my husband finds a job down where I work) and for the last two years the majority of my free time has been spent studying and trying to better myself.
For anyone curious or who wants any advice, I will be more than happy to give it. I won't say that any of whatI have to say is the best but I want to see others succeed. Hell, I want them to do even better than me. I owe a lot of where I am to the community here. You guys have helped me study and keep motivated when I was burning out.
I love all of you guys. This is a great community.
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Kore
Member Posts: 75 ■■□□□□□□□□
Congratulations on all the success and continue to persevere!! This story has definitely motivated me! -
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Danielh22185
Member Posts: 1,195 ■■■■□□□□□□
Congrats! It's a great feeling breaking into that 6-figure milestone! I just recently too obtained it at 32 years old just 3 months back starting my new job. I totally agree with your advice. Push yourself and step outside of your comfort zone. Take on knew challenges and always be looking for ways to grow your career. Don't be stagnant!Currently Studying: IE Stuff...kinda...for now...
My ultimate career goal: To climb to the top of the computer network industry food chain.
"Winning means you're willing to go longer, work harder, and give more than anyone else." - Vince Lombardi -
OptionsMadmd5
Member Posts: 83 ■■■□□□□□□□
Congrats! Now just imagine what you'll be making by the time you're 30!
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jamesleecoleman
Member Posts: 1,899 ■■■■■□□□□□
Thank you for posting your success!
My goal is mid 30s for 6 figures unless I'm able to enlist then maybe the goal will be later on.Booya!!
WIP : | CISSP [2018] | CISA [2018] | CAPM [2018] | eCPPT [2018] | CRISC [2019] | TORFL (TRKI) B1 | Learning: | Russian | Farsi |
*****You can fail a test a bunch of times but what matters is that if you fail to give up or not***** -
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coffeeluvr
Member Posts: 734 ■■■■■□□□□□
Congratulations and thank you for sharing your story with us!"Something feels funny, I must be thinking too hard. - Pooh" -
OptionsMooseboost
Member Posts: 778 ■■■■□□□□□□
Where in NC are you? I recently moved out here
I live in the Greensboro area, but work in the Raleigh area. -
OptionsTheFORCE
Member Posts: 2,297 ■■■■■■■■□□
Congrats well done! I crossed that milstone 1 year ago. Hard work pays off.
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Optionsdhay13
Member Posts: 580 ■■■■□□□□□□
I'm still quite a ways from that 6 figure mark but after a year of hard work, dedication, and a few certs, I was rewarded by my company and got that raise I had fought for. I am in an area where 6 figures is pretty uncommon unless you are a C level or at least a higher profile manager with a larger company so not sure I will ever get there but my next position should get me real close. I'm a loyal person so will stay put for awhile since my company had enough confidence in my accomplishments and abilities to reward me.
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sschwieterman
Member Posts: 42 ■■□□□□□□□□
Mooseboost wrote: »It always seems that our career progressions are a combination of hard work, perseverance, and luck. As part of that, we must make sacrafices to better ourselves. Sometimes this means less time with our family, taking positions just for the experience, and sometimes giving a little bit of our health to move forward.
I made the shift to security from networking close to two years ago. Before that I worked in a NOC as a network technician for a small ISP. Back in those days, I was making under 25K a year. I want to persue a higher career and so I made my way up, trying to obtain a new skill set with each position to help me move up to my next one.
My first dedicated security position came earlier this year. Prior to this I was a jack-of-all trades engineer. My engineering experience coupled with a passion for security has served me well. Earlier this month I was promoted to a senior position within the same company. With this came a significant pay increase and will serve as a major catalyst for my career.
When I first started looking at my long term career goals, I wanted to be making six figures before my 30s. With this new position, I have achieved my goal. At 26 I am now making 115K a year. While it just barely over my long term goal, I have achieved it early.
Now, I know that this pay in a senior position is not uncommon with large companies. But this milestone means so much to me. Out of my family (3 brothers, one sister) - I am the only high school graduate. I do not have a college degree. No one else in my family even sees over 30K. I come from a family of small town factory workers. I never imagined that this was something that was even possible. In fact, I still sometimes expect to wake up and find this was a dream.
Some of the biggest advice I can give to people out there is to work for it. I don't mean study for a cert here or there - I mean push hard. I did not get here without a lot sacrafices. My commute is an hour and a half one way (this will do down when my husband finds a job down where I work) and for the last two years the majority of my free time has been spent studying and trying to better myself.
For anyone curious or who wants any advice, I will be more than happy to give it. I won't say that any of whatI have to say is the best but I want to see others succeed. Hell, I want them to do even better than me. I owe a lot of where I am to the community here. You guys have helped me study and keep motivated when I was burning out.
I love all of you guys. This is a great community.
Congrats man! Really cool to hear. I also want to say thank you to you. About a year ago I had just gotten my CCNA and a new job to go along with it. I made a post on this forum asking if I should go straight for my CCNP or do other certs like CCNA: Security or Data Center. Your advice was to go for the CCNP and that is what I ended up doing, becoming CCNP certified in May of this year. Anyway, here's the funny part... I just got a new job in Raleigh as well and it is making the exact same salary you listed in your post. These past few years getting to this point have been a wild ride, but this forum and members like you are really what makes it a great place. I owe a lot of where I'm at today to the people in this forum.
So thank you and keep killin' it!
