#What Skill Would You Like to Learn? Here’s Why I Chose Cybersecurity

[darlingkeyzblog]

What Skill Would You Like to Learn? Here’s Why I Chose Cybersecurity

What skill would you like to learn? In today’s fast-paced, tech-driven world, it’s more important than ever to keep evolving and adding new skills to your arsenal. With countless options out there, from creative arts to technical fields, you might find yourself wondering, “What skill would I like to learn?” Well, after careful consideration, I’ve found my answer: cybersecurity. But why…

[piaciibo]

Why CompTIA Certs are worth your time

When I went off to college, I knew that I wanted to work in Cybersecurity. I chose to go to school in Pittsburgh and earn an Associates degree (all that was available, at the school, at that time), in Information Technology, with a focus in Cybersecurity. At about the 2/3rds mark of the entire program is when my class would be broken into one of two paths: Security or Network Administration. Knowing what my goal was, I wanted to make it into the Security classes so badly.

Along the way, I went from feeling energized and driven , to feeling abandoned by my classmates and a girl who I had come to like quite a bit. It wasn’t their fault, or mine, things just happened in a way that I wasn’t prepared to experience, and I allowed my drive to disappear. I didn’t care anymore, after about 3 quarters. I stopped showing up on time, and sometimes at all. I stopped putting in the effort necessary to perform at a level which would push me to achieve my goals. I did not make it into the Security classes that I had wanted to be in so badly, a year before.

Despite the many times I attempted to leave school, I decided to stay every time either because a teacher would talk me out of it, or simply because I didn’t have a car. I hated how poor I was. I hated how inaccessible many of life’s fruits were to me at the time. I finished school and came back home for my three month unpaid internship. At the end of my internship, I had earned my position in the organization and was their newest Tech Specialist.

Working in Tech Support obviously was NOT what I wanted, but, was to be expected for someone so young, and so early on in their career. I was 19 years old, and could be considered “Successful” but I wasn’t where I wanted to be, and so I was unsatisfied. I knew what I wanted to do, but had no idea how to get there. I remembered that my teachers back in Pittsburgh talked about some CompTIA certifications that were available to help you along in moving your career in the direction you wanted it to go.

With this knowledge, and a new drive to succeed, I began the journey I find myself on to this day. I bought the book for CompTIA’s Security+ SY0-401, and started reading every single day. I felt that this was a great way to get started, and that if I could just get this certification, that I could be taken seriously in Security and maybe get a security role in some company outside of the one I was employed by. By the time I finished the book (About 3 months of rigorous study time between phone calls on-shift), I believed myself to be ready and also - burned out.

Burned out on the material, I decided to take a break and return to it again later. A few weeks go by, and I picked the book back up, to review material. I felt, again, that I was ready to take the exam, so I pulled up the CompTIA site, to find out something that would derail me for the next 11 months. The exam I had studied for, had expired. I didn’t even know they would, or could, after such a short period of time (3 years).

A year goes by, and I had learned my lesson. Sick of working in Tech Support, I decided to buy the books for the new exam (SY0-501). They arrived the next day and I had the killer mentality activated. I wanted it so bad, that I studied for roughly 4-5 hours per day. I studied at home, I studied at work, I studied in the middle of the night when I couldn’t sleep. I wanted it BAD. I already knew most of the material from the first exam, so a lot of it was a refresher, but, I did see some new material popping up and that was important for my eventual result.

After 3 months of hardcore work, I was ready again. I took and passed the exam. Now, Security+ Certified, I figured, I could land a security job. After all, that’s all that made it worth taking, right? WRONG

My knowledge and ever-growing interest in the field didn’t matter when I applied to tons of places. I had waited to apply for jobs, so that I could further develop, and I felt as though I had, considering the limitless reading on security topics that I was doing. I was fully invested in making myself “hire-able” and yet, when the time came for me to get my hopes up, I did, and I fell hard. Nobody wanted me to work in their SOC, or as a specialist of any time anywhere. I took another job, for more pay, but, it was still in Tech Support.

So, now, I am still working in Tech Support and I have a Security certification that is sitting stagnant. I figured, maybe the reason they didn’t hire me was because I didn’t have enough on my resume to prove I could do what I was applying for. I decided to go after another CompTIA certification. I bought the books for CySA+, and they arrived a few days later. This time around, I wanted to maintain the family man figure I had become, so I took it a little bit slower this time, and consumed the material as quickly as a humble schedule would allow. In less than 30 days, I had studied, scheduled, and taken the CySA+ CS0-001 exam. I passed!

Now, with two security certifications, I can hold my head high and go get me a security job. WRONG. Still, I found little interest in me as a candidate, and maybe that’s because I live in a highly populated area where talent is rich. I won’t take a pay decrease, because I have a family to support, so I have decided to study and eventually take the new Pentest+ exam (PT0-001).

So after all of this effort, spending over $700, and not getting hired, why is it that I love CompTIA? Don’t I want to credit them when their certifications earn me the job I want? Sure. But here’s the deal - I am self-aware and I know what I need to do to get the job I really want. I can’t expect an employer to hire me because two certifications say that I know what I’m doing. They need a bigger sample (which is why I’m writing this, to be honest). As someone who is passionate, I need to increase my visibility to the audience that I want hiring me

The reason I love CompTIA and the material that they provide, is because they offer young people (and anyone early into their IT career, of course) the opportunity to learn and prove their knowledge to employers in the IT workforce. Say what you want about the reputation of the certifications, they teach you valuable material. I am living proof - have a conversation with me about security and you’ll see that despite the reputation of the certifications, I certainly know my stuff.

Reading CompTIA’s material has made me a better support technician, but, has also taught me new concepts and led me to new ways of thinking that I wouldn’t otherwise have. I owe my skill and broad knowledge to CompTIA, and because of them, I can project my knowledge into many situations, which helps me get noticed internally at work. I may not be able to come in to work on my first day as a Security Analyst (one day) and just work without training, but, I can definitely talk the talk, and I can understand concepts and can learn things in a practical setting very rapidly due to my prior knowledge gathering. You’d be hard-pressed to find another support tech who knows as much as I do about security, who has no role or experience within the field as of yet.

To date, I have read the following CompTIA books, which have molded me into a very knowledgeable, hard-working technician:

- Linux+

- Network+

- Security+ (2)

- CySA+

and now Pentest+

If you are just after a job, you need to change your field. If you want to be educated, and know what you’re talking about, you can’t go wrong by starting here. See you in the SOC one day soon ;)

[northernstories]

Meet Bill Provost, an NMU alumni (’10, ‘13, ‘20) from Manistique, Mich. We asked Bill a few questions about his NMU experience so far: 

Why did you decide to work at NMU?/ Why did you decide to live in Marquette?

Bill: I've spent most of my life in the Upper Peninsula, and I chose to live in Marquette because I feel it gives me the best balance of enjoying the natural beauty of the U.P. while still having the accommodations and opportunities I wanted for my family. What are you involved in within the university as well as outside of campus?

Bill: Between my family and my job as a Cybersecurity Analyst at mBank, I keep busy. Cybersecurity is a field that requires constant learning, as well, so I'm always working on my next industry certification. I am also working with the Upper Peninsula Cybersecurity Institute on some curriculum creation for a technical writing and communication course. When I was on campus, I was involved with the Student Cybersecurity Association and coaching high schoolers for the Merit Governor's Cybersecurity Challenge. I love the technical aspects of my field, and I look for any opportunity I can to be involved in helping to teach or encourage others. Outside of work, what do you enjoy?

Bill: I love being a husband and a dad. I enjoy playing guitar and reading. Like all human beings, I am a fan of binging really good TV shows. On the rare occasions I have time for it, I like kicking back and playing video games. Further comments on your NMU experience:

Bill: I must've really enjoyed something about NMU, because I came back for three degrees! Jokes aside, I loved the small class sizes and the relationships you can build with your professors and peers. Advice for current students?

Bill: As someone who returned to school as a nontraditional student, my advice would be: if you're seriously considering a career change, a major/minor change, or a new area of specialization, but you’re waiting for the right time to get started-- start today. It will never be easy to get the ball rolling, but the sooner you start working towards your goals the better. What does “be Northern” mean to you?

Bill: I think it means building not only the professional skills you'll need to succeed in your field, but also learning to connect with others and form relationships that will last well beyond your college days. Why do you wear a mask?

Bill: I wear a mask to protect my loved ones, and to do my part in protecting anyone else's loved ones that I come in contact with. How have you been practicing social distancing?

Bill: I am fortunate to have a job where I can work remotely, so social distancing has been a natural effect of working from home. How has COVID-19 changed your perspective or your lifestyle?

Bill: As a techie and a bookworm, I'm basically the definition of an introvert. I think COVID-19 has made me realize I'd like to explore more, travel more, and socialize more when those are viable options again.

Tell me your story.

Bill: I definitely have had a long and winding road to where I am today. After earning both a BS and MA in English from NMU, I actually ended up with a successful career in banking. I started in that field while I was going to school, and ended up climbing from teller, to personal banker, to branch manager, and finally getting into training. Then in 2017, my dad passed away. As a young father myself, I reflected a lot on where I wanted to be and decided a career change was the right move for me. Thanks in no small part to a very supportive wife and mom (and a lot of coffee), I made an aggressive leap into the cybersecurity field. I wrapped up my BS in Information Assurance/Cyber Defense this year, acquired 14 professional certifications along the way, and got a job as a Cybersecurity Analyst with mBank in Marquette. I was also honored to be the recipient of the "Cyber Defense Scholar Award" and "Outstanding Graduating Senior" for my graduating class, which meant even more given everything I was juggling as a parent and an employee during the pandemic. I'm currently taking classes at Ferris State University for an MS in Information Security and Intelligence. I'm always looking to learn and grow, and that's a big part of what appealed to me in this career. And most importantly, my story would not be complete without emphasizing what has kept me going through all of this: my kids. While I'm proud of what I've done to get here, all of my academic and professional accomplishments pale in comparison to being their dad.