How to elevate my career? :(

KaiiKaii Member Posts: 59 ■■□□□□□□□□
Starting-Sept 21,2011 - Aug 10,2012
Title: Web Developer(OJT)
Age: 21
Salary: $600/yr icon_sad.gif
Experience: none
Education: Dropped out
Certifications:none

Now - Aug 10,2012 - Present
Title:Web Developer(First Real Work)
Age: 22
Salary: $7500/yr icon_sad.gif
Experience: 10months
Education: Dropped out
Certifications: none


sometimes i think im stuck with this. icon_sad.gif idea how to elevate my carreer?
i like to be a security professional very very like..its like an hobby/play to me.
I`m the Designer of my Own Catastrophy

“The best way to predict the FUTURE is to CREATE it”

Comments

  • KaiiKaii Member Posts: 59 ■■□□□□□□□□
    i just need a motivation from you guys icon_sad.gif
    I`m the Designer of my Own Catastrophy

    “The best way to predict the FUTURE is to CREATE it”
  • EssendonEssendon Member Posts: 4,546 ■■■■■■■■■■
    First off - It's tough to break into security. It's tough to break into virtualization and it's similarly tough to break into storage. It's never going to be easy to break into any specialization. No one's going to hand you the keys to their firewalls and ISA's without you having demonstrated some experience in system/network administration. It's always going to be that way. Would you let a courier van driver fly you in an airliner? Would you let a Year 3 biology student perform heart surgery? NO, right?

    The above wasnt there to discourage you in any way, just there to present you the stark reality. I have been in a sys admin (titled systems engineer, though) role for 5 years with the same company and only for the last 10 months or so have I been able to work on our ESX servers. You've got to be able to demonstrate to the employer that you got what it takes to drive a system. You need to be proactive in finding ways to improve your skillset, this is what makes you more attractive to an employer over others. Do you know your way around an ASA or an ISA or some other Cisco firewall? If not, they wont provide you with a username and password to logon to a firewall.

    Now how do you get there?

    Year 1-2 -> Look for a helpdesk/desktop support/NOC role which will give you some exposure to how a system or a network works. Work on a CCENT/CCNA cert to demonstrate to the prospective employer that you yearn to get into networking. Or get yourself an MCTS or two and get a helpdesk role and work your way up. Do NOT stay on in a helpdesk/NOC role for more than a year or two.

    Year 3-4 -> KEEP WORKING on the certs. Then if the stars line up right for you, you move to the network engineering team in the same organisation or you land a similar role in another company. You may get a chance to work on security sometime now.

    Year 4-5 -> You are now a gun at what you do. People come and ask you what needs to be done. When someone walks up to your manager and needs some work done, your manager says - O Kaii is real good at this, please ask him. Your peers should be asking your for advice. You design/implement the company's firewalls. You start working on your CISSP or your CCNP: Security. Or if you work on the Microsoft side of things, you work on your TMG certifications.

    Year 7-8 -> You are close to what some members on the forums are now. docrice and Ahriakin come to mind right away. Both these guys have their websites/blogs that are a great read.

    Get the idea I hope? This is going to be a 6-9 year thing, that's if everything falls into place nicely for you. On a side note, I'll tell you something about my team's manager. Great guy, by the way. Let's call him TA.

    6 years ago. He was a desktop support guy. Very switched on, very helpful, well informed. The company saw some potential in the guy.
    5 years ago. The lead at the time was booted out for some reason. TA was made the desktop support team tech lead.
    4 years ago. 2 contractors left the company. TA was moved to the Systems Engineering team.
    2 years ago. The team lead at the time left the company. TA was made the Systems Engineering team lead, not tech lead any more.
    2 months ago. The Operations manager position fell vacant after the incumbent couldnt handle the pressure. TA was made the Operations Manager.

    I think he's done really well. Probably tripled his salary along the way too. How did he do it? By being very proactive, eager to do all the grunt work, always had the potential and everything kinda fell into place for him.

    Good luck!
    NSX, NSX, more NSX..

    Blog >> http://virtual10.com
  • KaiiKaii Member Posts: 59 ■■□□□□□□□□
    thanks to this.. really moving and step onto it ..great thanks sir.
    I`m the Designer of my Own Catastrophy

    “The best way to predict the FUTURE is to CREATE it”
  • StussyNzStussyNz Member Posts: 177
    Essendon wrote: »
    First off - It's tough to break into security. It's tough to break into virtualization and it's similarly tough to break into storage. It's never going to be easy to break into any specialization. No one's going to hand you the keys to their firewalls and ISA's without you having demonstrated some experience in system/network administration. It's always going to be that way. Would you let a courier van driver fly you in an airliner? Would you let a Year 3 biology student perform heart surgery? NO, right?

    The above wasnt there to discourage you in any way, just there to present you the stark reality. I have been in a sys admin (titled systems engineer, though) role for 5 years with the same company and only for the last 10 months or so have I been able to work on our ESX servers. You've got to be able to demonstrate to the employer that you got what it takes to drive a system. You need to be proactive in finding ways to improve your skillset, this is what makes you more attractive to an employer over others. Do you know your way around an ASA or an ISA or some other Cisco firewall? If not, they wont provide you with a username and password to logon to a firewall.

    Now how do you get there?

    Year 1-2 -> Look for a helpdesk/desktop support/NOC role which will give you some exposure to how a system or a network works. Work on a CCENT/CCNA cert to demonstrate to the prospective employer that you yearn to get into networking. Or get yourself an MCTS or two and get a helpdesk role and work your way up. Do NOT stay on in a helpdesk/NOC role for more than a year or two.

    Year 3-4 -> KEEP WORKING on the certs. Then if the stars line up right for you, you move to the network engineering team in the same organisation or you land a similar role in another company. You may get a chance to work on security sometime now.

    Year 4-5 -> You are now a gun at what you do. People come and ask you what needs to be done. When someone walks up to your manager and needs some work done, your manager says - O Kaii is real good at this, please ask him. Your peers should be asking your for advice. You design/implement the company's firewalls. You start working on your CISSP or your CCNP: Security. Or if you work on the Microsoft side of things, you work on your TMG certifications.

    Year 7-8 -> You are close to what some members on the forums are now. docrice and Ahriakin come to mind right away. Both these guys have their websites/blogs that are a great read.

    Get the idea I hope? This is going to be a 6-9 year thing, that's if everything falls into place nicely for you. On a side note, I'll tell you something about my team's manager. Great guy, by the way. Let's call him TA.

    6 years ago. He was a desktop support guy. Very switched on, very helpful, well informed. The company saw some potential in the guy.
    5 years ago. The lead at the time was booted out for some reason. TA was made the desktop support team tech lead.
    4 years ago. 2 contractors left the company. TA was moved to the Systems Engineering team.
    2 years ago. The team lead at the time left the company. TA was made the Systems Engineering team lead, not tech lead any more.
    2 months ago. The Operations manager position fell vacant after the incumbent couldnt handle the pressure. TA was made the Operations Manager.

    I think he's done really well. Probably tripled his salary along the way too. How did he do it? By being very proactive, eager to do all the grunt work, always had the potential and everything kinda fell into place for him.

    Good luck!


    Perfect advice if you ask me. Get into a Helpdesk/support postition, start to study and sit certifications and from then onwards the world is really your oyster (You can go as high as you like as long as you put in the effort)
  • truckfittruckfit Banned Posts: 78 ■■□□□□□□□□
    Sorry to say this but you can't never ever plan your I.T career.

    I mean before working in I.T and when I was doing my certs I never thought that I would be where I am

    All I can say is go with the wind you will get somewhere!
  • xenodamusxenodamus Member Posts: 758
    I disagree. As your career progresses, the path you take may often change, though. You see opportunities for growth in areas that you might not have considered and you take them. But you should always have a plan. Randomly completing certs and waiting for someone to offer you a promotion is a good way to stay in helpdesk/desktop for too long. Decide where you want to be, and then ask youself what you need to get there.

    Although your plans may change over time, always be intentional with what you do. Identify the gap you need to overcome and get about the business of making it happen.
    CISSP | CCNA:R&S/Security | MCSA 2003 | A+ S+ | VCP6-DTM | CCA-V CCP-V
  • jasong318jasong318 Member Posts: 102
    I always recommend this article when people ask about breaking into infosec: Getting a Start in the Security Industry - SpiderLabs Anterior

    Also, network! Go to con's, look for local defcon/2600/owasp groups and network with the people there. Create a linkedin profile and follow companies/people that are in the field and try to engage them in conversation.

    Hope this helps!
  • KaiiKaii Member Posts: 59 ■■□□□□□□□□
    thanks this would be a gret help ..
    I`m the Designer of my Own Catastrophy

    “The best way to predict the FUTURE is to CREATE it”
  • KaiiKaii Member Posts: 59 ■■□□□□□□□□
    xenodamus wrote: »
    I disagree. As your career progresses, the path you take may often change, though. You see opportunities for growth in areas that you might not have considered and you take them. But you should always have a plan. Randomly completing certs and waiting for someone to offer you a promotion is a good way to stay in helpdesk/desktop for too long. Decide where you want to be, and then ask youself what you need to get there.

    Although your plans may change over time, always be intentional with what you do. Identify the gap you need to overcome and get about the business of making it happen.


    I agreed with you..
    I`m the Designer of my Own Catastrophy

    “The best way to predict the FUTURE is to CREATE it”
  • EssendonEssendon Member Posts: 4,546 ■■■■■■■■■■
    Dont mean to offend you at all, but you also need to work on your English. Great communication skills are just as essential as technical skills, maybe more so.
    NSX, NSX, more NSX..

    Blog >> http://virtual10.com
  • KaiiKaii Member Posts: 59 ■■□□□□□□□□
    lol. that was very necessary needed indeed. thanks again mate.
    I`m the Designer of my Own Catastrophy

    “The best way to predict the FUTURE is to CREATE it”
  • PM[RU]PM[RU] Registered Users Posts: 3 ■□□□□□□□□□
    Essendon wrote: »
    Dont mean to offend you at all, but you also need to work on your English. Great communication skills are just as essential as technical skills, maybe more so.

    Good English is strongly needed to build your career if you are not a native speaker. Your ability to obtain new technical knowledges depends on your English skills. Firstly because of great difference between the amount of available information on English and other languages. You might feel this difference even during learning basics. For high level certifications it's really a gap. And don't forget about an opportunities to get a position in the international companies.
    Sorry for my English in advance too, I'm still on the way of its improvement. :)
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