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

[Mirin4rmfar]

dont let people that are anti certs discourage you. The goal is to get your feet in the door. Once you are in, its all up to you to continue working hard and self learning. Look at any amazon, google, etc. They will ask you for certs. So once you get pass the recruiter, its up to you to prove your technical knowledge and you can learn these technical knowledge on Linux Academy etc.

 

[BaggerofTea]

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?

None of this cybersecurity stuff is accurate.

I work in cybersecurity operations and do a lot hands on technical stuff and mid level cyber analysts/engineers make 115k a year.

And that's low in the industry.

There are mid range red teamers and pen testers cracking 150k in my org.

You can definitely grow in cyber.


Now if you work on policy and compliance, it may be different

 

[Vaselclean]

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?

Yeah, it's going to primarily experienced devs who want to add the extra skillset. If you want to get in cloud, get a degree.

 

[Tr0yTV]

Ol boy giving bad advice

if you want to join 6mafia. Don’t want nikkas all in the thread with misinformation. Come to the IT thread * drops mic *

 

[BaggerofTea]

Brehs if you have an it degree already, do not sweat the certs

Just know your shyt

 

[num123]

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.

Yeah my bonus is done for and my stocks should be fine later on, but their was a massive contractor layoff at my company and almost none of them are left. Still waiting to see what happens to me but i should be fine since there are few people in my team and we are needed.

 

[L&HH]

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?

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

My advice is learn linux and try to be a linux sysadmin first. While you're doing that then study skills in the cloud. The problem with cloud is while there are alot of opportunities and I mean an abundance there are no entry level or mid-level jobs. All of them are looking for like 6+ years experience in the field so unless you're willing to lie on your resume...and even then when you get hired you're going to be lost as fukk.
The cloud skills shortage and the unemployed army of the certified

A lil advice


Everybody goes the same route when going into IT

Going for A+
Then Network+
Then Security+

And u end up making $13-15 an hour doing help desk

What makes it even worse is cats going to these bootleg for profit schools and taking out loans to pay $20k for that shyt


Don't


Look into some certs that the average person doesn't know about that are easy
VTC is huge and there aren't enough certified people for the field

This right here. Another thread someone suggested HL7 which seems like it takes the same amount of time to learn as getting those A+, Net+, Sec+ but the end jobs pay waaayyyy more and many are remote. Talking making $55/hr+ or more

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

4 day cloud course in classroom? They must just be teaching some cloud practitioner stuff or basic shyt so you can get a cloud sales gig.

 

[JT-Money]

None of this cybersecurity stuff is accurate.

I work in cybersecurity operations and do a lot hands on technical stuff and mid level cyber analysts/engineers make 115k a year.

And that's low in the industry.

There are mid range red teamers and pen testers cracking 150k in my org.

You can definitely grow in cyber.


Now if you work on policy and compliance, it may be different

Don't forget those salaries are probably based on location. If you're in the South hardly anybody is getting those salaries except Management.

I know people up North near DC making that kind of money. Or people doing Corp to Corp contracting but that's about it.

The average medium size business isn't paying that kind of money for IT Security people. And that's where the bulk of the jobs are in Security.

 

[BaggerofTea]

Don't forget those salaries are probably based on location. If you're in the South hardly anybody is getting those salaries except Management.

I know people up North near DC making that kind of money. Or people doing Corp to Corp contracting but that's about it.

The average medium size business isn't paying that kind of money for IT Security people. And that's where the bulk of the jobs are in Security.

Lol I forgot to mention, I am in NYC.


It would probably be completely different for me in a different state or area code.

 

[the bossman]

Certs seems to be where it's at. If a young person asks me what they should do with their life, I'm going to tell them to get a certification. There's more out there than back breaking trades and worthless 4 year degrees.

Nobody here saying degrees are worthless. You need to start looking at this shyt more like a toolbelt. Degrees are a tool. Certs are a tool. They serve their purpose in different situations. Try to get both is your best bet. Even if you have to do the degree part time over several years. Neither one of them on their own are the end all be all. This ain't the 1980s where you write your own ticket just for simply having a college degree. Same goes for Certs. Nobody is dropping to their knees to slob you up just because you got a CCNA or PMP. I got a friend stuck at the same level for years in his software dev job with a degree from MIT. His communication skills are trash.

The ultimate goal should be to make yourself as well-rounded as you can possibly be. you will have options out the ass.

Degree, Certs, hands-on experience, written skills (do you write emails like a dyslexic? /when mgmt wants a report on an incident that happened, can you write something coherent?/), verbal skills - can you whiteboard a complex concept in front of a group of your peers or customer? can you do a demo or presentation in front of some C-suite cac execs or a crowd of engineers?

 

[JLova]

I do not know about most companies but if you are an experienced engineer you should be making close if not more than a manager. One of the reasons i was sought out to be converted from a contractor an employee at my current company was that me and a few others we making 30k+ over our senior manager, not even our direct manager. Maybe some of you guys like management but i do not and most of the engineers i have worked with are the same way. It is way easier for me to work on the actual technologies than having your whole day going from meeting to meeting. Plus i am more safe than management since i actually do the work that is needed on the project, and it is hard to find good people. Also if you have a good setup with your current work (and if your job allows it, especially if you are a contractor) you can easily work two or more jobs at the same time

That isn't always going to happen though and as a manager you get to move up and can eventually get up to director and VP levels. You're not doing that relying on Certs. Even with a degree, you will likely have to go for your masters. If you have Certs you're stuck. You'll have an even taller hill to climb. But if you don't want to go that route then sure.

Anyways, you don't want to get into management, that's completely fine. I was just saying that Certs limit you whereas a degree does not...obviously you have to put the work in but you'll get the benefit of the doubt with that degree. A lot of spots you're not even getting a call without a degree. You have to future proof yourself. You're competing globally and that degree goes longer than certs. There are always exceptions of course.

 

[L&HH]

Nobody here saying degrees are worthless. You need to start looking at this shyt more like a toolbelt. Degrees are a tool. Certs are a tool. They serve their purpose in different situations. Try to get both is your best bet. Even if you have to do the degree part time over several years. Neither one of them on their own are the end all be all. This ain't the 1980s where you write your own ticket just for simply having a college degree. Same goes for Certs. Nobody is dropping to their knees to slob you up just because you got a CCNA or PMP. I got a friend stuck at the same level for years in his software dev job with a degree from MIT. His communication skills are trash.

The ultimate goal should be to make yourself as well-rounded as you can possibly be. you will have options out the ass.

Degree, Certs, hands-on experience, written skills (do you write emails like a dyslexic? /when mgmt wants a report on an incident that happened, can you write something coherent?/), verbal skills - can you whiteboard a complex concept in front of a group of your peers or customer? can you do a demo or presentation in front of some C-suite cac execs or a crowd of engineers?

This right here. I got a bro that is just a master talker/convincer (kind of manipulative in some ways). Anyways dude studied some cloud shyt and has landed 3 different cloud jobs in the last 6 months. His actual knowledge of the stuff though...questionable. But the first job he got was a consultant role, he interviewed in a room full white dudes and didn't even let them ask him shyt. Just got up on the whiteboard and started talking and writing shyt down. They wouldn't let him leave the room until he signed the offer. That was for $115k, he then interviewed elsewhere and used that offer letter to get a job for $122k a few weeks later. He just started another gig while he's working the first gig for $122k that he's considering quitting lol.

 

[UberEatsDriver]

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:

Yea as for me I might have to be open to the DMV area cause I have an MPA which deals with more policy, risk, compliance, regulatory, governance, and auditing in federal government and policy organizations.


Jobs look more plentiful in that region for me and it’s only 4 hours away

 

[L&HH]

Also for those of you who have degrees look into SCRUM and project management. It's simple shyt you can learn in a few weeks and be making 6 figures. However be prepared to be doing a lot of pointless shyt and in meetings all the time.

 

[JLova]

Degree, Certs, hands-on experience, written skills (do you write emails like a dyslexic? /when mgmt wants a report on an incident that happened, can you write something coherent?/), verbal skills - can you whiteboard a complex concept in front of a group of your peers or customer? can you do a demo or presentation in front of some C-suite cac execs or a crowd of engineers?

The most important thing is to get your foot in the door and then you can impress. The barrier though is getting your foot in the door. HR won't even pass your shyt to the hiring manager if you don't at least have a degree with some companies.

While what you're saying is right...my suggetion is get the degree, then impress. Oh and co-op/internship is a must.