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Well, I’m going to go searching these previous posts as well, but, I’m someone that’s always been interested in cybersecurity, but, I have had a hard time committing to the idea of college and so I haven’t. I’ve worked mostly blue collar jobs for the last 8 years or so but, I want to get into the cybersecurity field.
Should I start with getting a degree of sorts, or, can I collect enough certifications to get me in the door somewhere?
I have done about a year of IT so not all my work experience is blue collar.
Any advice would help!
It’s great that you have some IT experience, that usually helps more than either a degree or certifications in isolation. The way I look at is is experience > certifications > degree. That being said, it will depend on the job/organization. Some positions will require a degree (sometimes any degree) to get through the HR filter. Less organizations are requiring this which is great.
If you’re not interested in getting a degree, I would focus on certifications. You can absolutely get an entry-level position with just IT experience and certs.
My advice would be to look at the requirements for 8+ jobs you’re interested in and make a weighted list of the certifications they’re asking for. Use that this to prioritize which ones you pursue.
Thanks for the reply! I’ll start that list now, that’s a good idea.
This is exactly what I wrote this up for https://shellsharks.com/getting-into-information-security. Hopefully it can be helpful to you!
Thank you much!
