IT Career [Weekly] What would you like to know Wednesday? General Question Thread |
- [Weekly] What would you like to know Wednesday? General Question Thread
- FYI: Udemy class "Practical Ethical Hacking - The Complete Course" is free only for April 1st
- Check out the free resources from services providers
- Question about pen-testing
- Microsoft 365 Modern Desktop Administrator
- RANT: IT recruiters without jobs - don't waste your time and here's how you sniff them out.
- Due to downsizing I'm the solo IT guy in a company of 13 people. I don't work on IT stuff anymore, but my responsibilities are higher. How do I move forward?
- Is there a go to list of SW and Tools to set up my own lab at home?
- TS/SCI Salary in DC
- New CCNA or Network+
- Questions about which network certification to study for and where my employer fits into this.
- Is a Career in IT Right For Me?
- Ethical hackers / penetration testers - What training would you choose if you have two options - CCNA or OSCE
- in my last semester, I will be 1 class short of my Philosophy minor, should I try to complete it or just graduate without a minor? (MIS major)
- Mid-career sysadmin - what's next for me?
- Is it worth pursuing any job in IT that involves coding or scripting if the understanding of it just doesn't come naturally to me?
- Have a friend at Amazon who's put in close to 40 referrals for me and I haven't heard back from anyone, what's going on?
- Comptia IFT+ questions
- Non-typical certifications you needed for your IT career
- Get my IT Diploma in a few weeks - Need advice on furthering education VS work experience
- I have an interview tomorrow but don't have any details
- Demotivated IT graduate.
- Is college worth it? And if so which degree?
- I just got a job at a NOC. What can I do to prepare?
- Got an AWS Solutions Architect Associate certification, but I'm not sure where to go from here. Would like advice on projects to focus on & roles to apply for.
[Weekly] What would you like to know Wednesday? General Question Thread Posted: 01 Apr 2020 01:17 AM PDT Not every question needs a backstory or long explanation but it is still a question that you would like answered. This is weekly thread is setup to allow a chance for people to ask general questions that they may not feel is worthy of a full post to the sub. Examples:
Please keep things civil and constructive! MOD NOTE: This will be a weekly post on every Wednesday. [link] [comments] |
FYI: Udemy class "Practical Ethical Hacking - The Complete Course" is free only for April 1st Posted: 01 Apr 2020 05:04 AM PDT |
Check out the free resources from services providers Posted: 01 Apr 2020 09:23 AM PDT Your Why is your fuel. But you need the how to drive your goals. If you're a small MSP or independent IT contractor, many online services are offering free use of their professional level tools for extended periods to help boost opportunities to survive and thrive. [link] [comments] |
Posted: 01 Apr 2020 09:21 AM PDT So firsts off I would call myself a "uber noob". I know enough about pen testing and ethical hacking, to know I need to ask a lot of questions but not enough to know the questions yet. I have a tiny bit of experience, with some time I can physically pick a basic padlock or door lock. And I'm learning a bit of coding on my own for the hell of it. working on python right now and starting to understand the basics. But need to build something from scratch to really understand it. And next I want to move into SQL next. I do not have a degree in any thing -_- but have worked hospitality, and logistics (storeroom and shipping) for my careers so far. So my basic goal would be to to learn pen testing for "fun" and personal "safety". I know of a cyberwarfare range in my city that might be fun to play around In. But I think it could be a chance to move careers too, and make a better living. So finally what should I know about pen testing? How far behind am I? Education level I should obtain? Recommend skills? Words of the wise? Rude remark ( constructive will be listened to, Aholes will be ignored or trolled with)? [link] [comments] |
Microsoft 365 Modern Desktop Administrator Posted: 01 Apr 2020 08:02 AM PDT Hi all, I'd like to take this cert, is hard to take it with just self studying ? Do you suggest some material ? Unfortunately didn't find a course on udemy, but only courses in academy that are very expensive thanks all [link] [comments] |
RANT: IT recruiters without jobs - don't waste your time and here's how you sniff them out. Posted: 31 Mar 2020 12:22 PM PDT Having recently found myself unemployed, shortly after starting new job, I am back on the market. So, I started fielding calls from recruiters, with predictable results.. Recruiter 1: Hey, tough times, folks losing jobs! If you need help, holler. Me: Ok, I'll bite. Recruiter 1: OH, sorry, we don't actually have jobs right now, but will let you know if we do. Recruiter 2: Hey, if you need help with jobs, we have openings! Me: Ok, go on Recruiter 2: Oh, please let's spend 30 minutes while I take notes on you (for the 5th time this year, mind). How much you want? What are you making? bla bla bla Me: Do you have a job? Recruiter 2: Oh, not now, but soon. In few weeks when things ease up. We'll let you know Me: D'oh... So, here's what I will be doing going forward, instead of filling up "no job" recruiter's time log - ask questions like that:
Do not waste your time - qualify recruiters before doing pointless market research with them. YMMV [link] [comments] |
Posted: 31 Mar 2020 04:34 PM PDT One year ago I was freshoff grad. When I was hired there were 15 people and 1 IT guy. Then I was hired for some reason as Service desk. Now there are two IT guys for 15 people. I got immediately promoted to the equivalent of a manager, not really a manager, but sorta. I was on the line for whatever IT was responsible for. Felt weird, first IT job, I didn't even know the company, only experience is co-op, but I was given so much responsibility. Since it's a small company I was part of strategy meetings and shit. I realized that everything here is SaaS so there isn't any infrastructure stuff to do. Most of my time is occupied by writing knowledge base articles, organizing our role accountabilities, restructuring our org chart (kind of a big deal here), being in so many meetings, presentations, strategizing, organizing my task, and cleaning up our org processes. Fast forward to now, our company can't sustain all these people and we've downsized. I'm the only IT person. I want to do more infrastructure work but I'm more focused on user experience/on site support. My company let go of the other IT guy who hired my and we got an MSP. At this point I realized that he didn't have much work to do. I'm not anticipating any more work other than a boat load of tickets he never cleared. I always wanted a mentor and that's why I took on this job, but I realized he was not the type of person I would look up too. The MSP guy my company hired will take care of all the infrastructure and from speaking to him he sounds like a great mentor. This is the opportunity I'm looking for. My problem is that I feel like I am doing lots of IT "manger"/CTO work and lots of on-site support work but none of the actual IT stuff I study and learn. The company doesn't value that type of work from me and wants me to do more user QoL fixes and finding gaps in their workflow to make it better and more efficient. The solution to any tech related thing here is a software subscription. So most of the support work I do is logging into people's accounts and adjusting their software account environment. I want to be doing more infrastructure, server, networking, and security work. On the other hand, I get the solo chance to improve the IT landscape and a possible mentor (MSP guy) that I can soak knowledge from. I have so many ideas for improving their IT policies, processes, user experience, and workflow. I felt limited when there were two IT guys since he would turn down any of my ideas and I wouldn't move forward. But now I get freedom. I don't have a boss but I need to back up my decisions by describing my decision making process. So with only that as my limitation, I can basically do whatever I want. I just gotta be persuasive and make sure that what I do doesn't massively or negatively impact the users. TL;DR fresh graduate doing IT manager type of work for a 12 person company. Not doing any actual tech work. Stay for the opportunity or find a job in this crisis filled landscape? [link] [comments] |
Is there a go to list of SW and Tools to set up my own lab at home? Posted: 01 Apr 2020 10:31 AM PDT I work mostly on Linux consoles but since most of that was set up on my work laptop which currently I cannot access I was wondering what everyone home setup is like. I would like to use this to improve my scripting and practice python for example. [link] [comments] |
Posted: 01 Apr 2020 10:14 AM PDT I received an offer for 120-130k in DC in a wireless network engineering role. I currently make 85k in a MCOL area and was wondering if this salary is enough to justify the move. They are willing to give 5k for relocation assist, full benefits. I have a B.S., CCNA, and sec+, does this salary sound about right? [link] [comments] |
Posted: 01 Apr 2020 09:58 AM PDT I always wanted to get into Networking but every job I get I just become a System Administrator dealing with servers and barely any networking. I was on the fence if I should accept the System Administrator role and start chasing that path or try to move into networking but I know many jobs you are System/Network admin. I was studying for CCNA a few years back and life events happen that just prevented me to study so I have a decent amount of knowledge and experience with networking. I completed my Security+ several months ago and now I want to chase my next certification. I know that CCNA was just modified so I don't know if there be any good material out yet to learn besides the books. I'm more of a book/video guy and like to use the ITProTV site to learn which they only have the old CCNA material. Is Network+ worth chasing? Are there any good sites that may have the new CCNA material for study guides? [link] [comments] |
Questions about which network certification to study for and where my employer fits into this. Posted: 01 Apr 2020 09:51 AM PDT I am trying to decide whether to study for Comptia Network+ or Cisco CCNA. Also, I'm not sure if I should keep my employer in the loop if I opt for a Network+ certification instead of CCNA. I explain the employer question further down in my post. I took some Comptia Network+ practice tests and scored around 70%. I would say with further study I could probably pass the Network+ exam without too much trouble. I do not deal with Cisco equipment at work, it's all various other vendors. As a side note, networking is one piece of my job, not the main focus. My choice would be to study for and take the Network+ exam as I feel like I know most of the material from experience. If I study for a CCNA certification I would have to spend a lot of time learning the command line. My employer wants Cisco certification as it looks good to potential customers when bidding contracts. Neither certification is mandatory for us employees to earn. A while back, my employer announced they would pay for a Cisco CCENT certification. As I'm sure you all are aware of, CCENT was retired last February. If I go the Cisco route, now I would have to go right for a CCNA certification. Though I haven't asked them, I'm sure my employer would pay for a CCNA certification as they have an open offer on the now retired CCENT. I don't know what they think about a Comptia Network+ certification and whether or not they would pay for one. My questions: Which exam do you think I should study for, Comptia or Cisco? I personally want to study Comptia and my employer prefers Cisco. If I earn a Comptia Network+ certification instead of CCNA, do you think I should let my employer know? To explain why I'm debating this question; imagine this scenario; I walk into work one day and tell my boss I earned a Comptia Network+, but they were offering to pay for CCENT/CCNA. I appreciate your time, and could use advice about this. Thank you! [link] [comments] |
Is a Career in IT Right For Me? Posted: 01 Apr 2020 09:47 AM PDT Hey everyone! I hope this is the right sub for this question. I'm currently a business student and need to decide on a major in the next year. I'm strongly considering declaring Management Information Systems as my major. I'm 24 and school has been more of a part time thing. I have not had any jobs directly related to IT but have had many jobs where I use computers and different software on a daily basis. I'm wondering if the industry is right for me? In taking the intro IS class currently and I enjoy it but feel like I'm getting more of an overview versus a hands on to the industry. I'm a strong believer in technology and enjoy spending time on computers. What are other ways to see if I have what it takes? Can't really afford to quit my current job for a starting position. Do I have to be good at code to enjoy an IT career? Is MIS looked down upon in IT? I'd appreciate any advice or insight. [link] [comments] |
Posted: 01 Apr 2020 12:42 AM PDT I am OSCP certified and working as penetration tester (mainly website penetration testing, no infra or network testing needed - sadly). My employer told me that I should choose a training and get certified because of the company policy. And now I don't really know what to choose. My favorites are the Offensive Security trainings (I would like to complete the "Cracking the Perimeter" course and be OSCE certified) but it would be nice to do the new CCNA 200-301 course also and learn the basics of networking. Because of the COVID-19 epidemic if I would lose my job, which certification will help me to get a new one? I think networking is a wider area, but penetration testing is also crucial nowdays. Which one of those will give more benefits for me? [link] [comments] |
Posted: 01 Apr 2020 09:13 AM PDT as of right now, I have 2 more classes for my minor in philosophy. I am registered for 1 of them in my last semester. the other class is not offered this summer or in my final semester. I was thinking of graduating with my MIS degree and going back as part time with the 1 class while I look for a job. it's not a very difficult class so it wouldn't get in the way of my job searching. I accidentally discovered the minor when I was taking GenEd classes. I took a few philosophy classes with the same professor and fell in love with the subject. I realized I was only a few more classes away from the minor so I declared it. My adviser thought it was a good idea because it can show that I good at critical thinking and analysis. is it worth it to complete it? I really love the subject and would love to have a minor but since I won't be able to complete it before finishing my major, I don't really know what to do. [link] [comments] |
Mid-career sysadmin - what's next for me? Posted: 01 Apr 2020 08:44 AM PDT Throwaway account here. I've been a sysadmin for 12 years, focused on Windows but really a jack of all trades. I'm competent in networking (concepts plus Cisco IOS), in basic C++/Java/C#, basic Linux, etc. I have BS and AS degrees in IT fields, and I hold the CISSP, CEH, Security+, and AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certs. I also have an active Top Secret security clearance. I currently work for a large government contractor and earn just shy of six figures before overtime. I like my job, but I also know that no good thing lasts forever, and I don't want to sit on my laurels. I also can't relocate and need either to stay in the same area or plan to target work-at-home options (obviously not an option in the classified world). I do have access to the GI Bill and I've dabbled in getting a graduate degree, but so far nothing has really stuck. I did the first class in a CS masters but didn't like the live video learning format, and I'm trying the first class of another IT-type masters now. My colleagues have suggested using VET-TEC, which has a lot of immersive coding-type programs. I'm not sure about pivoting to a development focus at this point in my career, as it seems like I'd almost certainly be stepping backwards in salary and abilities. It would definitely enable work from home options, though. I guess I'm just not sure where to go from here. I'm doing very well, impostor syndrome notwithstanding, but I'm trying to figure out how to parlay this momentum into continued success. What would you do in my shoes? [link] [comments] |
Posted: 31 Mar 2020 05:28 PM PDT I mean, I know I have minimal experience. But even when someone tries to explain their Python code or Linux script, I just give a "Mmhmm" and a head nod. I've tried understanding the syntax of various languages and how the logic all flows together, but it just isn't clicking. [link] [comments] |
Posted: 01 Apr 2020 03:32 AM PDT I've been trying to land a second interview with Amazon for around 6 months and I've been struggling. I landed an interview with them for a QA Analyst position back in November and bombed the initial phone screening (I was stupid and didn't prepare as much as I should have). Now, I have an old coworker who currently works at Amazon as a Senior Program Manager (he's been there for about 4 years) and he's been putting in job referrals for me like crazy but I haven't heard back from anyone. What do you think the issue is? Could it be that they have records of my horrible 1st interview and I've been blacklisted? Maybe its my resume? For the record, I'm putting in applications for Business Intelligence/Analytics positions. Thanks, and if anyone wants to take a look at my resume, I could PM it to you for review. And let me know if you need me to clarify anything or provide more information. [link] [comments] |
Posted: 01 Apr 2020 07:11 AM PDT Hello everyone I hope all is well, I am currently doing the Google IT support specialist certification class through Coursera, I have also done Googles fundamentals of digital marketing and CPT-101 at community college about 6 years ago. I want to try and take the Compia IFT+ exam BEFORE I try and tackle the A+ exam. With courses I have completed would I be able to pass the exam if I have a decent grasp on basic IT concepts? If not does anyone have any study material they recommend? Also how much does the exam cost? I tried googling all of this but I only got answers on the A+ exam. Thank you all for your time! [link] [comments] |
Non-typical certifications you needed for your IT career Posted: 01 Apr 2020 06:57 AM PDT Dear reddit, I hope you are all well during these chaotic times. I'll jump straight to it, I have applied for an IT Specialist gig with an accounting firm which as of now sounds promising. Never in my mind however did I imagine considering certifications outside of what my expertise would be, I suppose this has to do with me being so new to the field still. I already have my SEC+ and have considered Agile, SCRUM, ITIL, etc. The more places I apply to however, the more I find the want/need for IT Specialists with certifications in such things as CPA. It makes sense and in no way am I degrading the value of it, why would you want someone maintaining your system if they have no clue what the intended purpose of the system is. My question to you, what are some certifications or additional practices you have had to consider to be relevant/capable in a position? I hope questions like these pose useful for myself and other newer individuals in the field, thank you for your time! [link] [comments] |
Get my IT Diploma in a few weeks - Need advice on furthering education VS work experience Posted: 31 Mar 2020 07:25 PM PDT Background Info: I'm 32 years old, went back to school at 30 for an Information Technology Diploma. After completing first year, I got an an entry-level job as a Network Technician at one of the few small MSP's in my area. I've been working 28 hours per week while attending school 20 hours per week + homework. I'll be approaching 12 months of IT work experience some time in June. I've managed to maintain a 90% average in the IT program despite working nearly full time, and can say that I quite enjoy school/learning (more than I thought I would). Initially, I had wanted to become a software developer, as I did some game development as a hobby for a few years before returning to school... but I never graduated high school and haven't done much in terms of math courses (I've had a weird complex of being terrified of math since I was younger). So, now that school is coming to an end I and will receive a Diploma of Information Technology, I'm questioning where I should go from here. I originally thought of pursuing Microsoft MSCA certs and going down the sysadmin path... but since Microsoft announced those certs are retiring, I've become less interested. One of our final projects in our Linux Server & Virtualisation classes was to setup an AWS infrastructure, which entailed tying together an EC2 instance with RDS and a VPC. I enjoyed this project quite a bit, which lead me to start thinking about getting into Cloud Computing. Side-note: I've always enjoyed programming, and did quite well in my programming courses (which were mostly Java and PHP). My current job is alright, but the pay is low and I'm not very confident in any promotion or career growth... The company seems to be favour seniority above all else, and I'm at the bottom. The next guy above me has been with the company over 5 years... But they might be alright with me continuing education. Long story short, I'm not sure if I should just keep my current job (provided they don't lay me off due to the COVID-19 situation) and gain more experience, start applying elsewhere (not that many options where I live) or try to turn my IT diploma into a degree. I've been eyeing up an online degree in Computing and Information Systems (from the only accredited online school in my country)... on the website it says they will accept computer/IT diploma as a prereq and I might be able to jump into 3rd year of a 4 year degree. If I do continue my education, I'll need an income despite student loan... That's why I'm thinking about online/distant learning. Thanks for anyone who read the post.. I'm just looking for some advice from some seasoned veterans on where I should go from here. [link] [comments] |
I have an interview tomorrow but don't have any details Posted: 31 Mar 2020 10:33 PM PDT Hello all, I was reached out by a recruiter today on Linkedin for a helpdesk position. I have scheduled an interview with them for tomorrow, but I am kinda lost. The person in charge of the Helpdesk will also be apart of the interview as well. They didn't provide me with any job details or anything like that. I have been in a helpdesk role for a year now and have a good understanding of SCCM/RDP and working remotely. I just don't know what to expect. Is there anything in particular that they might be expected since people are working from home? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! [link] [comments] |
Posted: 01 Apr 2020 02:04 AM PDT So, I'm an IT graduate and this month, I realized I have skills that don't make me market ready. Since I'm at home for 2 months, I want to work towards being a full stack developer. Any tips? [link] [comments] |
Is college worth it? And if so which degree? Posted: 01 Apr 2020 01:50 AM PDT From the USA, I love the whole hacking, and CyberSec game. Since anonymous in 2008ish I was just fastinated and then Snowden just kicked it over the edge for me. I've worked in the IT industry in the last 6-7 (depends if this year counts) and I just Love CyberSec, I would love nothing more then to become a CyberSec Architect or Engineer one day in the near future. I figured I need to go through college for this what degree though, CyberSec and data assurance OR Computer Science? Could I get some help with this? [link] [comments] |
I just got a job at a NOC. What can I do to prepare? Posted: 31 Mar 2020 05:52 PM PDT Like a lot of people, I got laid off because of COVID19. I'm new to IT (relatively) and have worked as a Geek Squad mobile tech, Help desk and Desk Side support. I am working on my CCNA and want to be a network engineer someday. After I was laid off, I started looking for and got a job at a NOC. I was very honest about my experience level and they said they will train me, but I still want to out my best foot forward. How can I best prepare myself for a NOC role? I start between this Monday and the 13th. I want to impress, no do the bare minimum. Thanks in advanced. [link] [comments] |
Posted: 01 Apr 2020 12:57 AM PDT A bit about my IT experience: I did break/fix for approximately 3 years, at a computer repair/IT support one-man company. Following that, I was a service desk technician for a few months, and got promoted to service desk supervisor - was there for approximately a year. About a month ago, I passed the AWS-SAA exam, and am now AWS certified. Now, I'm trying to figure out where to go, and what I should focus on to build myself. I've been applying to roles that are primarily sysadmin & cloud architect, but I'm not sure if I'm at that level. My friends in IT think I am, and my last coworker said that I am at least at jr sysadmin level - but I've had instances in interviews where I wasn't able to answer their technical questions. So I'm wondering if I should consider applying to L2/L3 support roles (especially with COVID-19 going on) and then studying in the meanwhile. Aside from that, I'm trying to figure out what kind of projects I should be working on or what courses I should try and learn. On one hand I want to focus on things that are cloud related (though I'm also unsure what are some basic projects I could create to show off my skills) but on the other hand I'm not sure if that'll be helpful for the jobs I'm usually most suited for, jr sysadmin - and if maybe I should try learning more Windows server administration or the like. Any ideas or advice would be a huge help. Thanks! [link] [comments] |
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