Hey guys! I feel like I'm introducing myself to the entire IT world. Let me start by giving you a little bit of background on myself.
Since getting my Master's in 2008, I had been working as a translator for the federal government close to DC. Since last year, I made the decision to relocate to Tampa in order to be closer to my daughter. Obviously, there is an absence of federal agencies in Florida that would be interested in my linguistic capabilities, so I decided to make the transition to technology. And I believe the safest bet is for me to move into system or network administration.
My grand strategy is to push for a help desk position at the moment. I received my CompTIA A+ on my first try late last month after a few weeks of studying off a used exam study guide (for the older 220-801 and 2 exam editions at that!) and some practice exams. In the medium-term I am preparing to get a Cisco CCENT (exam 100-105) and MCSA (exam 70-698), which I hope will be enough to let me squeeze in somewhere as a junior network administrator despite my lack of actual work experience in the field.
In the longer-term, I want to pursue PCAP (Python Institute) and CompTIA Linux+. I believe a role managing a Linux network would represent the best marriage of my technical interests with the reality of the actual opportunities available. If I ever get there, I would like to transition to full-stack web development, but there do not appear to be many opportunities for that type of position here.
I would welcome comment, criticism, or reality-checks of any types.
Everyone reading this should find me on Twitter and LinkedIn, especially if you're in Florida. Let's network!
