Black man goes from 37k to 6 figures 6 certs in two years

[num123]

Not everybody is going to be willing to change paths, job hop, and move like I did. I just wanted to provide the other side, cause getting in is not as easy as getting a bunch of certs, entry level or not. Another big issue is certs can be braindumped. Plenty of folks go to 9tut to help them get their CCNA and CCNP, employers know this and it makes it harder to separate yourself when you have no degree.

The parts about people using brain dumps is true, but using a lab to study will put you ahead when you are interviewed. I have been part of a few interview where i was asked to grill the person applying and most did not know close to what they had on their resume.

The biggest hurdle is getting that first, non help desk role. If you go the networking route, this usually means getting into some NOC, but what if you can't get into the NOCs in your area? The obvious answer is to move, but many folks aren't going to be willing to move and potentially face the same situation in an unfamiliar city and I don't blame them. My best advice if you have certs and no degree and want to move for better opportunities is to go to a NON IT hub, sounds counterintuitive, but there is a ton of competition IT hubs for black folks like Atlanta and DC and just having certs without any proof of application beyond your home lab is going to be very difficult.

I believe if you stick with it for years, you can eventually get there, but it's going to be very hard with no guarantees and no degree backing. I just think the time is better spent earning a degree instead.

In an post i just wrote, being able to travel for work will set you apart from a lot of people. That is how a lot of people get on because most people can not travel far for work (Family, kids, etc..). And for contract work you are most likely going to be coming back home after your work is done so it is not too bad. But you have to make sure your employer pays for your living and moving expenses as well, but it should be a given.

 

[Astroslik]

According to her she can get a job in 1 day here but was struggling to get one in DC.

Yeah it’s easier to get one in NY. Way more legal jobs but also over saturated. But it’s the biggest city in America so it makes sense:

 

[Splash]

You're just getting the success stories. They're not worthless, but they're not necessarily a ticket to economic freedom/independence/whatever either.

The typical cert chaser is stuck in help desk (which may be fine depending on one's ambition). Certs are good if you want a stable $30-45K job.

I tried taking the typical shortcut approach and I got the typical results. Although results vary, the best bet to get into IT is through the long, boring process of getting a degree.

I whole heartedly disagree... I aint got much time to respond now but lemme just respond quickly so I remember to come back.

Typically for ANY field people get stuck in that entry to mid level range. Mostly everyone I know and call friends went to the same uni as I did. For the vast majority, 40k is like a ceiling with a degree.

I think I've told the story before but when I was working my first help desk job I was browsing the job boards and I saw an infrastructure role of something for like 50k.
My homegirl at the time looked at my screen and said
"Oh that kinda pay aint for people like us"
Excuse me bytch ?!
It's only because we were at the bottom on the mountain she was thinking like that but I been climbing ever since.
Old colleagues always say shyt tome like .. oh i took shortcuts or oh i got lucky.. and as a black man there are always gonna be hurdles I gotta over come but so fukkin what

The breh in the story said it took him two years, I don't look at that as no shortcut. 2 years of doing ya thing constantly aint no shortcut, its a grind that nobody is gonna see.

In my first 3 or so years in the game I added about 60k to my salary, from the BOTTOM, in that time I got and nobody saw me at all.. funny thing is I think I could have done much better if I was a little more bold in negotiations but fukk it

And I feel you on the certs, they just get you in the door but EXPERIENCE is everything.

From the helpdesk I said hmm I wanna look into this network thing..I was told OK, stay here for 2 years and do your CCNA
Did my thing in 6 months and got an operations job and then did EVERY task I could to reach the next level, I aint come in do my tickets and leave, i did all that and more, went and bugged other departments for them to give me some low level shyt I could learn from and build

Then I said hmm I wanna start with this security thing
My it director at the time... OK with a couple years experience here, MCSA and SEC+ you will be well on your way

4 months later I had done both and secured an analyst job 52 or 55k i honestly cant remember but yea it was 50's
Worked like a dog again, the company always happy, ppl always say you work too hard breh
This shyt is for me, not for yall


Now there are SOME IT roles where a degree is required but in my opinion, anyone going down that route should KNOW that, and know what the ceilings are.
Where I live the pure network roles topped out at like 80k.. if thats cool for you its all good. For me I said fukk that and jumped on the Cyber Security wave so I know a story like that of the OP is entirely possible in this space if you do not aim to just be in the middle of the pack.

Even in the cyber space, if I wanted to go down like forensics route or somethin, a degree would have been a valuable asset. For me as I am now (consultancy) it just wasn't necessary, my degree is in electrical engineering lol.

 

[Youseenmywork]

There really aren’t. Go look at the executives and you’ll get a good idea why. All white with a toke Indian or Chinese at best. I rarely see black people in my field and only a handful get beyond entry level. It’s not cuz we are under qualified either. Even N school. Not too many black people. It’s like that in Canada probably better in the US.

Lot better in the US ...

 

[Vaselclean]

Do you need the same formula to become a developer?

Certs don't mean much if you are trying to break into dev. I have an Oracle OCP in Java and no one cared.

If you have any sort of degree, getting into development is actually easier than IT careers like security and networking.

 

[Sonic Boom of the South]

Good info overall. In regards to AWS I was thinking about getting the cloud developer associate cert. Do you have any Knowledge regarding that route?

I know in Dallas there is a 4 day course that's in classroom that's $400
And there are online courses that like $200

There are thousands of testing facilities nationwide

 

[Vaselclean]

Is Linux worth getting into now or am I better on focusing on cloud technologies like docker etc

Linux is a very underrated way of getting into IT. The Red Hat certs aren't as brain dump friendly as many other certs either. I actually considered taking the Linux route before deciding to get a degree instead. Docker assumes a bit of Linux knowledge too.

If you are not a mid/senior dev/QA/prod support, I would steer clear of cloud certs.

 

[EndDomination]

Some are too busy on here planning the “revolution”. This was a great time to learn some stuff if you actually worked on it.

Of course this c00n-ass nikka comes in here

 

[EndDomination]

Study and take the patent bar.

Becoming a patent practitioner

Need BA/BS in science, unfortunately.

 

[Vaselclean]

If networking is your goal, get your N+ just for the knowledge but i would skip that if you can and get your CCNA R/S. The crucial thing about networking is getting a lab setup and actually learning the commands and processes. It is so much better to learn how to configure and troubleshoot OSPF or STP for example by actually working on the equipment and not just reading about it in a book. Go to ebay or click this link (CCNA Lab | eBay) to see ready made labs that are relatively cheap.

To add:

I'm not in the networking field anymore, but if you are really short on funds, just download a pirated copy of Cisco Packet Tracer. Yes, it's better to have your own hubs/switches/whatever, but it can at least get you by for a while.

 

[JT-Money]

Linux is a very underrated way of getting into IT. The Red Hat certs aren't as brain dump friendly as many other certs either. Docker assumes a bit of Linux knowledge too.

If you are not a dev, I would steer clear of cloud certs.

But Cloud is where all the money is going along with Data Science. I've seen Data Scientist walk in the door at 120K.

I ain't never seen anyone in Cybersecurity besides CIO's or CISO get that kind of bread. Plus if the company gets hacked these guys are the first to get used as scapegoats and fired. I've heard companies of companies letting go almost all their Security people and hiring new ones after a breach. Just so they could reset salaries and buy all new technology with the cyber insurance money.

I'm actually working on my exit plan out of cybersecurity despite only reaching 6 figures 2 years ago. These huge salary gains are no more once you hit 6 figures. You'll be lucky to get 5K increase switching jobs. And I'm way too fukkin greedy to settle for that amount. So unless you're a Super Star that can do it all you'll be lucky to make 120K in Cybersecurity. While a Cloud Architect or Data Scientist can get that same cash barely lifting a finger.

Dice 2020 Salary Report: Which Cities, Skills, and Occupations Paid the Most?

 

[num123]

I'm not in the networking field anymore, but if you are really short on funds, just download a pirated copy of Cisco Packet Tracer. Yes, it's better to have your own hubs/switches/whatever, but it can at least get you by for a while.

Packet tracer is alright, but find a copy of NetSim or get GNS3. GNS3 is the best free one but it has Switching limitations as well as you need the actual IOS to run the virtual equipment. Even if you are struggling, i would still recommend getting a lab setup and use it fro both CCNA R/S and CCNP R/S.

 

[calixprynce]

for brehs that need the degree..

there's online accredited schools that will take your certifications as credit towards your degree. So you can work and stack your $ and certs, then go get your degree and only have to take basics, electives, and a few major courses.. continue working, save $ and time on a degree, then move on to better paying job with your new degree . You have the certs , degree, and experience now

or you can still knocc out your basics and electives at a community college.

 

[num123]

But Cloud is where all the money is going along with Data Science. I've seen Data Scientist walk in the door at 120K.

I ain't never seen anyone in Cybersecurity besides CIO's or CISO get that kind of bread. Plus if the company gets hacked these guys are the first to get used as scapegoats and fired. I've heard companies of companies letting go almost all their Security people and hiring new ones after a breach. Just so they could reset salaries and buy all new technology with the cyber insurance money.

I'm actually working on my exit plan out of cybersecurity despite only reaching 6 figures 2 years ago. These huge salary gains are no more once you hit 6 figures. You'll be lucky to get 5K increase switching jobs. And I'm way too fukkin greedy to settle for that amount. So unless you're a Super Star that can do it all you'll be lucky to make 120K in Cybersecurity. While a Cloud Architect or Data Scientist can get that same cash barely lifting a finger.

Dice 2020 Salary Report: Which Cities, Skills, and Occupations Paid the Most?

One of the things that is lost with the income talk is whether you are an employee or a contractor. If you are a contractor you should be making more money than someone doing the same job that is an employee, and that is before overtime. But as an employee you can get other things that can bridge that gap like annual bonuses, stock options, vacations, better health care, etc.... . I made more money straight up as an contractor at the job i am an employee now, but now i get the bonus, options, and other benefits that made it worth it.

 

[JT-Money]

One of the things that is lost with the income talk is whether you are an employee or a contractor. If you are a contractor you should be making more money than someone doing the same job that is an employee, and that is before overtime. But as an employee you can get other things that can bridge that gap like annual bonuses, stock options, vacations, better health care, etc.... . I made more money straight up as an contractor at the job i am an employee now, but now i get the bonus, options, and other benefits that made it worth it.

I turned down a contractor role paying a higher base salary. For a permanent job with benefits and the chance for a yearly bonus. But now their are rumors due to the pandemic we might not get the bonus.


And I've heard horror stories about contracts ending prematurely. Or you having to take a massive paycut if they ask you to go permanent at the end of the contract.