Where were you in your career at 25?

I'm a few months away from 25 and I was wondering what my fellow TE memebers were doing at 25? This is a very vague question, anything regarding to life, work, etc..

For Example:
*Were you confused about what you wanted to do?
*What job did you have at 25?
*What degree/certs did you have?
*Is there any advice you received through-out your career that you wish you knew at 25?
*What you would of done different if you could go back in time?

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Comments

MSP-IT

Beowolfj wrote: »

25, thats 10 years ago. In a since, I was reborn. Just honorably discharged from a dead end Navel carrier a year prior and into my first year of my associates degree in computer security. Homeless (had to live with family) jobless, (five to six interviews a week, but was alwats 'overqualified' or 'didn't fit in with the company motto'. looking back, i really haven't moved all that far.

for this, I'd like to thank Unkel Sam for taking five years I will never get back with nothing helpfull to show for it; Sally Mea for taking advantage of the begginning carrire erner who has no chance to get paid what the degee costs thanks to the failing economy; and my previous four other employers who thanks to there ability to pull the rug out just in time, there was no hope of securing a financial footing to build on.

I think I'm done ranting now.

“When you think everything is someone else’s fault, you will suffer a lot. When you realize that everything springs only from yourself, you will learn both peace and joy.”
—Dalai Lama

...

MSP-IT wrote: »

Currently 21 years old. More than half way through my B.S. of IT Security at WGU finishing roughly 22 credits a semester. Working full time as support engineer (specialized networking) for a small security company making just under 35k. By 25 I hope to be finished with my MSISA at WGU and have my SSCP and OSCP. If I continue with job advancement, I estimate I'll be making roughly 50-65k a year by 25.

That was only last year and I've already met most of those goals and some. Pay + certs were knocked out of the park.

For me, 25 is still relatively far in the future. Looking back at where I've come in the past ~2 years, I couldn't tell you where I'll be. If all goes as planned, I'll be close to wrapping up my Masters around then, then it's either on to an MBA or Doctorate degree in either business or some advanced computer theory (ML, BI, etc).

aspiringsoul

At 25, I had an AAS from ITT Tech (which I earned at the age of 21), the CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, Server+, and MCP. I was taking classes at a community college since I had to pretty much start all over again due to lack of transfer-ability of credits and there was no way I was continuing at a for-profit school for my bachelor degree. I transferred to a regionally accredited school on my 25th birthday and finished the bachelor degree two years later at the age of 27 (this was several months ago).

I was employed as a Desktop Support Network Administrator (Level 1 and Level 2 work) for a small community bank from the age of 22 to the age of 26. The pay was not great, but the experience led me to have the opportunity that I have now.

Working on the masters now, and pursuing certifications. The CISSP is on my sights for 2016.

Verities

*Were you confused about what you wanted to do?
No, I wanted to get into Linux system administration.

*What job did you have at 25?
NOC Technician.

*What degree/certs did you have?
A.S. in CNS (ITT Tech), Net +, Sec +, Linux +, LPIC-1

*Is there any advice you received through-out your career that you wish you knew at 25?
Keep your mouth shut and don't complain.

*What you would of done different if you could go back in time?
Finish my bachelors.

Codyy

Just turned 25, feeling a bit behind most in here, got a little too comfortable with the guaranteed paychecks I guess.

*Were you confused about what you wanted to do?
Yes, still am. I separate from the military next year, unsure what part of IT I want to focus on.

*What job did you have at 25?
IT Specialist U.S. Army E5 SGT. In a pen testing role at the moment.

*What degree/certs did you have?
Sec+, Net+, MTA's, CIW's ..80 credits toward WGU degree. Hopefully Linux+ next month.

*What you would of done different if you could go back in time?
Started WGU years earlier, focused more on high level certs.

MeanDrunkR2D2

When I was 25, I was in a dead end Sales job, moved up as high as I could go in that role. Made good money (more than my first 2 IT jobs) and decided that I screwed around enough and enrolled in college and 3 years later had my BS in CIS. In hindsight, I wish I would have taken school more seriously when younger than my partying and whoring around, although that was a lot of fun. had I done that, I would have gotten into IT before the IT market tanked and would likely be further ahead career wise than I am now. Downside if I did that is that I likely wouldn't have met my wife and had a wonderful lil son. So I guess I'm happy the way things worked out in my personal life.

Fulcrum45

*Were you confused about what you wanted to do?
Heck yeah, I went to school to teach history. Ended up in retail.

*What job did you have at 25?
Working at a Home Depot. Retail felt like the only place I had experience. I wasn't even interested in I.T. despite having an older brother who was making close to $200,000 a year in it at the time.

*What degree/certs did you have?
B.A. History

*Is there any advice you received through-out your career that you wish you knew at 25?
Figure out what you want to do and fast! I didn't get into I.T. until I was 31 and all of my peers seem to look at me like I'm an old man (I'm only 35 btw)

*What you would of done different if you could go back in time?
I would have focused on the Air Force more or became a cartoonist....I still might.

SoCalGuy858

Not yet 25 (currently 22), but....

Were you confused about what you wanted to do? Happy to say that I am not (nor do I think I will be in a few years)!

What job did you have at 25? Can't speak for 2.5 years from now, but I'm currently a systems administrator in charge of ~100 users across three sites around the globe. It's a mix of everything right now, so I'm just trying to soak in as much as possible (servers, desktop / laptop / end-user support, VoIP, access control, project management, etc....). At $57k... I can't complain!

*What degree/certs did you have? Also can't speak for the future, but see to your left for my current certs. Currently working on a Professional Certificate in Information Systems Management (UC San Diego) and a B.S. in Business Administration (finance).

*Is there any advice you received through-out your career that you wish you knew at 25? Can't say yet!

*What you would of done different if you could go back in time? Absolutely nothing!

devils_haircut

At 25, I had exactly ZERO work experience in IT. In fact, I had just finished a 3-year contract in the Army (active duty).

*Were you confused about what you wanted to do? - a little...thought I might try to find a lazy, overpaid government job doing something, but I was 11B (Infantry) in the Army, so I didn't really have any useful skills

*What job did you have at 25? - got into IUPUI using the Post 9/11 GI Bill and worked part-time in a warehouse

*What degree/certs did you have? - none...didn't get my A+ until age 27

*Is there any advice you received through-out your career that you wish you knew at 25? - nope, haven't really had a good mentor, although I work with some great people now, we are largely isolated from each other and interact through IM/email

*What you would of done different if you could go back in time? - got started in IT sooner...maybe got my basic CompTIA certs while still in high school, but at the time, I didn't know about them

Overall, I'm happy where I'm at, although the money could be better. The cost of living here is one of the lowest in the nation for any major metro area, so I can't complain. And I just got promised (not offered) a potential promotion here after my 1-year mark to the network infrastructure team, so I'm pretty excited about that. Hard work does pay off with the right employer.

Beowolfj

MSP-IT wrote: »

“When you think everything is someone else’s fault, you will suffer a lot. When you realize that everything springs only from yourself, you will learn both peace and joy.”
—Dalai Lama

...

thank you for taking the time to coment...as I said, that was 10 years ago. A tough pill to swallow, and a leason that took 10 years to learn, 10 years that cost me 20.

wallpaper_01

Had just finished University and became a Web Designer. 4 years on now I'm a Network Engineer. Not making much money as its my first network engineer job but I don't really care, I'm getting paid for my hobby which is pretty damn awesome!

lolo974

When i was 25 years old,

Job: network security analyst
Degree: French Msc degree
Cert : CISSP (Associate), GISP, GCIH, CCSA, CCSE, FCNSA, FCSNP, SFCP, BCCPA, BCCPP, CCNA, CCNA:Sec, RCSA-W, ITILv3 Foundation
Salary: 37k euros (I work in Paris)
Experience in IT: 1 year

Right now, I am 26.