Looking to Change Careers

bigzebra499

Hello,

Brand new here. I am considering entering a new career IT.

I'm in law enforcement and it's approaching the time to choose another profession. I've always been of the mindset that one should not continue working in a field in which one is unhappy. I haven't completely gotten to that point yet, but it's probably wise to exit stage left sooner that later for a rather expansive set of reasons. The writing is on the wall, if you will.

Because I'd be leaving prior to being vested in the department's pension (we don't pay into Social Security), I have to walk into a salary a bit north of 100k as I have to invest a substantial amount annually into retirement savings.

With that being said, I have already completed the 901 portion of A+ and anticipate being victorious with the 902 later this week. I then intend on obtaining N+ and S+ certifications within the next few months.

I also have command-level experience at my current job (I've supervised folks who supervise people). I also have been working part time as a project manager at a firm that installs enterprise-level IP camera systems, so I have learned how to set up simple networks and basic subnetting, so I have at least a bit of experience in the IT field.

My goal is to enter the IT sector in some sort of management spot; I'm particularly interested in cyber security. Obviously I don't have significant amount of IT experience, but I have proven track record of being an effective and successful manager and leader. I also have a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice (it's my understanding many upper-level positions require some sort of degree).

So, I guess my question is: am I being too lofty in my expectations? If so, is there a path to achieve my goal?

Thanks for hearing me out.

Mike R

From what I've seen years of experience trumps all else in this field. A degree helps but to make what your looking for typically those people are seasoned in the IT field.

In my opinion having a manager who doesn't understand intimately understand the task at hand is very hard to work for because they don't understand what they are asking. Nor do they have the foresight to understand the future ramifications of what they are asking you to do.

Just my 2c

mzx380

While management experience is essential, you just don't have enough technical expertise yet to justify a senior position comparable to the pay you are currently making. Like other industries, IT requires you to cut your teeth at the bottom of the ladder before ascending to a managerial level. You are definitely on the right track by augmenting your CV with certifications but will eventually need more than those since your education and background do not align with your current career aspirations.

In summation, temper your expectations and be prepared to take a pay cut to break into the industry

Good luck

N7Valiant

A 6 figure salary is sort of the end-goal of the IT world, it's not something you can just walk into without years of experience and being something of a subject matter expert in the field.

If you're worried about retirement savings, it may also be best to evaluate your age, as ageism does exist and may be a barrier to getting your foot in the IT door.

cyberguypr

I'm with the others above. Even though you may be a great manager, many will always gravitate towards a leader that already has experience in the IT field. I'm not saying that it's impossible, just that it will be VERY uphill. Mzx380 is right on the money with the "temper your expectations" comment.

soccarplayer29

Echoing others comments. Jumping into that type of role/salary is going to be extremely difficult, especially within cyber security. Typically security professional have years of experience if IT operations (help desk, sys admin, etc.) prior to moving to entry level cyber security positions.

I'd advice to pick another IT role initially and then look to make the move into security later if you want and that'll give you a better shot.

I'd also suggest focusing on your long term plan rather than needing to walk into 100k right away. Maybe something like 70k initially and you bust your butt proving yourself doing the operations and are able to move up the ladder so 3 years later you're at the 100k level and on your way to a management roles over 120k+ after that.

All theoretical but you need to have a plan to get there. Also check out indeed, payscale, glassdoor, etc. for positions and associated salaries for positions in your area that you meet the job requirements for which I suspect will help put things into perspective.

Best of luck and keep this conversation going letting us know your situation and path going forward.

si20

I'm very time limited tonight so can't make a long post out of this, but i've actually been managed by people with no IT experience in security jobs - and they happen to be by far the worst of the worst. As a result of that, staff begin to get angry, do not respect you and ultimately the team breaks down, people leave and you get a bad reputation as a manager.

The A+ is an entry level cert, the Sec+ is just above entry level, maybe starting to get towards intermediate. These aren't 100k salary certs. My advice is continue studying and definitely look to get into IT, but you've got to work your way up. Granted, you could get a security position, especially in the UK, but it sounds like you're in the US. Just work your way up - if you try jump in at the deep end, it's not going to be an easy ride whatsoever. When extremely technical people ask you questions, expecting you to be of assistance and help - you'll be out of your depth.

Sorry if this sounds a bit crushing but I remember one manager screaming at me: "stop the DDoS attack! Stop it!" - this manager had zero IT experience yet was managing a team of around 20 IT security professionals. Needless to say, after 2 years they got rid of her (can't believe she lasted that long).

europop

Sorry to say but you will not get even a senior management post without IT experience. Almost all professional industries are very tough to change career unless you're willing to start at the bottom.
My old boss used to be in the army, and many in IT are ex-military.
He started at the bottom like everyone else but he did make huge efforts to kiss ass. Whilst his team hated it, this and his advanced years helped him to get promoted to a management position in less than a year so he did well in the end.