IT Informational Interview

[cataneseaj]

Hello all,

I'm looking to learn more about cybersecurity careers and would love to chat for 15 minutes.  Would anyone be open to a virtual meeting or call this weekend or next week?

Best,
cataneseaj

[Spirnia]

I saw that you had not yet received a reply to your post.

You might find this website helpful in learning about careers in cybersecurity while you wait for your informational interview:

https://niccs.cisa.gov/workforce-development/cyber-career-pathways-tool 

It is an interactive website!

Here is an image of what you will find there:

[cataneseaj]

Thanks for this!  Long term goal, I'm focused on becoming either a SOC analyst or penetration tester.  Mostly because I find logging and preventing threats, testing systems and ethical hacking exciting!  I'm currently studying for the eJPT certificate before tackling the OSCP exam.

[nkeaton]

@cataneseaj. Not trying to discourage you, but lots of people want to be pentesters, but there are very few even in our large organizations. Is not a profit center. About the only places that have more than a few are those that sell defensive security. I only wish you the best, but I want to be honest with you.

[Spirnia]

As for a PenTester, you might find this helpful:

And for a SOC Analyst, you might find this helpful:

You can find more information at cyberseek.org, where I got these images from.

They are both great careers! And you are already on the right track!

You might want to also earn the CompTIA CySA+ certification to learn the defense side.

[nkeaton]

OWASP is definitely a good organization with lots of information and tools. I would definitely suggest to anyone interested in pentesting to see if they have an active local chapter.

[Spirnia]

And I am sure OP is aware of DEF CON. This year’s event is scheduled for August: https://defcon.org/ 

OP can compete in popular CTFs and get their name out there to make it easier to compete for the limited job opportunities in pen testing.