They can require experience, and a lot require a degree, but don't let that deter you from trying. A+ and Net+ never really seemed useful, but Sec+ is a gateway to getting into cyber security, and is mandatory for having privileged access to information systems within federal agencies. If you go the security track, get a few years of experience and go for the CISSP.
Look for security analyst jobs within the federal government, or look into help desk, desktop support, and SOC (security operations center) jobs from defense contractors. If you're lucky, you might be able to land a junior sys admin job if you get the Sec+ cert. Of course, a lot if this is around the MD/DC/VA area.
I'm grateful for the advice, thank you.
I'm absolutely willing to relocate, it's just a matter of getting the job.
I won't have my degree for another couple of years, so the Sec+ is my best bet aside from actual experience... there seems to be some jobs on usajobs.gov that line up with exactly what you're saying so I may look there first. Not sure if it'll mean much but I have some decent references who have been working for the feds for a while so hopefully that helps.
That's smart. By the time I leave my current employer, I will have been here for 3 years. I probably should have left a year ago. I thought that maybe I would have had a chance to move up to Jr. Admin. I was wrong. No loyalty. Do not let a company seduce you like I was seduced. Leave for a promotion and raise, always.
Agreed, we just had a thread on this too...
my goal is to ultimately run my own start up company, still trying to figure out what that is. But for now, I will continue with the typical 9-5 job working under such and such, but after my experience working for companies under multiple titles. I will never stay at any company for more than 3 years (I'll always have my eyes on something better), worked for one company for 4 years and it sucked the soul out of me. Met some amazing people, but that feeling of being stuck in the rat race is pretty terrible, and meeting great people doesn't really change that if the work itself and the environment sucks. When all my supervisors and managers are telling me, "don't stay here, keep moving on to better things," it must be for a good reason.
Companies will constantly seduce you with the whole, "stay with us till your 50 and you'll retire a millionaire" or they'll throw their pretty benefits in your face, another good one is, "we promote from within." Don't buy into that shit, because there is always another job out there willing to give you more coin and sometimes it comes with even less of the bullshit funnily enough. Honestly, if you learn to invest properly and can sustain multiple incomes, retirement becomes less of a worry or an objective. It's an option, sure, and it should still be considered like any other... but I do not think it is the only one nor should it be touted as such. These companies can lay you off any second, so that's as far as their loyalty goes... it's as long as they need you or don't need you.
Anyways, best wishes on your journey up the ladder.
