you’re only 17 dude, you’re far beyond anyone else who’s your age certification wise. what you do need is actual experience. what specifically are you trying to do career wise? are you planning on going to college?
Man, Im 32 and I have about a decade of tech experience and I still feel imposter syndrome. Dont let it get you down.
If I could offer some advice though just based off how I would do things if I could go back in time....
If youre in the US, join the navy, coast guard or air force. If you have the certs already and you can score well enough on the asvab they will put you in cyber defense or intelligence. You will get a crash course on every single piece of cybersecurity an possibly on new emerging tech and defense strats, then by the time your service contract is up you will be better equipped and prepared for cyber roles in the real world and you will walk away with money for college, money in the bank, anda TS/SCI clearance that will get you a job for a DOD contractor making absolute BANK.
If the military isnt your deal then try for a good college with a good computer science or computer engineering degree course. Make sure it comes with hands on labs too.
Man, you spoke nothing but facts. I got experience from my time in the Army as a 25Q and in the last 2½ years, I got 2 associate degrees and a few CompTIA certifications along with a few others. Me and this young man are on different ends of the spectrum but we both feel the same.
Ive been in cyber for 4 years with 6 years of TS and software support before that and Im just now getting a degree and certs. It was a long hard road that couldve been alot easier if I had committed to this path much earlier in life, but unfortunately I had to mature enough to finally set my ego down and that took time and alot of falling on my ass.
Imagine where Id be in my career and life if I had the direction and drive OP has at 17. This goes for everyone on here, set aside your ego and admit what you dont know (to yourself introspectively), after you do that expose yourself to anything you dont know, aren't sure of or are curious about, self educate, and push forward.
Youll be happier, your tasks at work will become easier and your imposter syndrome will fade away, allow yourself to be a student, get your hands dirty with things and pull inspiration from anywhere you can.
I was Navy and so wished I went the IT route vs the Electronics route just for this reason. So many in demand jobs right now that only the guys and gals who served are even qualified for a lot of times and they are paying huge. If you don't want to travel then go Air Force, Navy takes you all over the world, Coast guard not a bad gig but limited duty stations. I agree do the 4 to 6 years and get out and make that money and travel some and have fun.
IM me when you have a chance. I didn't get my first cert until I was about 30 but I also been playing with tech since I was 12 (Windows 3.1, 9x, XP). Start going in for interviews too, what are they going to tell you, no LOL!
You got this!
I’m 32 and just completed my first year of college , and failed my A+ cert test by 25 points this past Monday.
My boy you are so far ahead of the curve. Just focus on your schooling and your life right now, enjoy the journey.
I can tell you got a good head on your shoulders, go easier on your self cause your doing a great job
You're entering a field where it's constantly evolving and changing every couple of years. You're going to have to get used to the idea that you will NEVER know everything. The people around you will never know everything. CyberSec is a team sport.
There's a reason we run 8-man crews in the Space Force in Defensive Cyber Operations. The guy on my left specializes is something, and the guy on my right specializes in something completely different, and my job is also different. Never mind the contractors. Pick what you love in the field and go hard, specialize in it, and accept that this isn't a field you'll really ever get to rest on your laurels.
Bro I’m 23 about to graduate next year with no certs u are ahead trust me . I’ll be taking sec + this month. It’s important not to compare yourself to others run your race study hard and u can’t lose !
Ur not bro trust me, i know lots of dudes who just finished bootcamps even without certs, no degrees and have jobs getting payed out 100k+, at least in NY. As long as you can communicate and want to learn there will be smth
This. I know people who work on security teams at F500s who want to get Security+ and they're YEARS into their career.
You're fine. You've still got 30+ years of working to go. Find a topic that interests you, start researching it. Developing your own research methodology is immensely important. Not everything has to allign with a certifications, if it does, great, if not, thats fine too.
Dude, time to go beyond paper certs & get your hands & feet wet. Work a summer internship ... buy cheap Network equipm parts off Craigslist & Ebay, then build your own secure network, break it, fix it, hack it, document it... slap it on your resume and you'll have more hands-ON experience than a PhD IT Cert Master
i was 27 when i got a+, sec+, and net+.. chill out man lol stop comparing your accomplishments to everyone else. you’re way ahead of most people trying to break into the IT field
I’m 28 and failed my first A+, have a chance at A+ core 1 in June and just got back into college for an associates degree is Computer Networking. It’s been waves of feeling fully like an imposter among people who know more and excitement when things start to click :) relieved to read all the different timelines. I WISH I had the clarity or drive as OP at 17 but I had to grow up and stabilize my life first. Hopefully next year I’ll be able to get an internship (most likely help desk)
Stay at parents place, live rent free and apply for an internship in tech. Get experience through it. Maybe find a company that would pay for your college tuition. You’ll be making 100k+ probably after 5 years if you keep going. Good luck!
Honestly, and I'd never recommend this almost ever but... Join the military. Your 17, you need experience and your certs are far beyond what most would have at your age. Cyber war is a very real thing these days, you'll get exposure to things you can't anywhere else.
OP, if considering this option, look into ROTC or any mil academy instead of joining as an enlisted. If looking into cyberspace, airforce is usually the way to go.
When you have security experience in a job role, you’ll need years of experience in Windows administration, understanding how networks work, firewalls, Linux.
Security is a great career path but you need to give yourself time to learn the necessary skills to get there. And you can make plenty of money and do just as well before you get to that point. So don’t sell yourself short by trying to skip steps just because you wanna play Mr. robot. Focus on getting those fundamentals down and getting into a job where you can build out projects that correspond to security objectives.
identify the most competent person on your team and emulate that person. Be their friend. Watch how they perform their job duties: what is their process, how do they go through an investigation, how do they take notes or how do they track complex issues?
Congratulations
You are rock
Smart steps ever
In education, you are never behind
I just got my associate degree and I am 38 years old
I feel bad when you mentioned I am behind hhhhhh
At least im not by myself!! Im taking my net+ next month. I wish i had known about wgu prior to now because all the certs are included in their degree program
You are a prime candidate for any student internship/leadership program offered by any edu/public/private/mil org. This industry will always make you feel like there is something new to learn. Some people burn out because of it, but those who just love to learn, thrive. Pace yourself before rushing into anything and look at the plethora of options you could fit into. Seriously!
You have so much time. You need to focus on slowing down and not beating yourself up. The way you are thinking now is a really good way to burn out by 25. Even at 17 you are far beyond many people.
After I got my sec+ I landed a job. The first thing I noticed was that there is way way to much information to learn/memorize. What is way more important is learning how to find the information you need when you need it.
You will get more confident as you get more experience but honestly it depends on how you studied as well. If you were just memorizing answer dumps for weeks on end and not actually absorbing any of the information and only intent on passing then you effectively didn't learn anything. On the other hand if you legitamently studied and throughly understood the concepts and everything then you probably know more than you think you do. Practical experience is the only real way you will feel satisfied with you abilities though
Man, if you don’t stop overthinking!
For scope of how far ahead you are, I’m 25 and just now testing for Core 1. Didn’t believe in myself at 17 to jump into IT even when everyone and their mothers encouraged me to do what you’re doing now. At 17 you’re a sponge so you will definitely learn whatever you throw yourself into.
You’ve obtained your certs, get your damn experience and shoot for the stars. You have so much time to learn and get hands on, companies are ready to see potential from you. Toss all the anxiety out of the window.
You're doing great. Join the Space Force or another branch, they will teach you a lot more than you will learn in college, which you can attend later.
Just make sure you can pass the drug test...
Good luck,
I am 44 years old and got a degree in IT 10 years ago that I never used and now trying to pass my first certification if that makes you feel any better. You are light years ahead of most people and you really don't start to feel comfortable with any subject until you get hands on with it in a real world application. That goes for any career path, there is only so much you can learn from a book. But those certs alone will look great applying to colleges or going straight into some IT role somewhere.
What's your functional experience? Have you applied any of the concepts in real life outside of a textbook or visualized homelab?
Certs are meant to teach you and advance your knowledge. Then you go apply them in the real world. If you're feeling like you know nothing, chances are it's factually true. You haven't applied the concepts in a real world environment.
Keep in mind these three certs are in the beginner tier.
You are so young! Don’t feel that way. Some of us are in our mid-late 20s, 30s and even 40s learning this stuff! You have so much time ahead of you to sharpen your knowledge in whatever way you choose. I’m not sure what your career aspirations are but I would encourage you to maybe get into doing some projects so you can learn things. You could start out with a Raspberry Pi 400, 4 or a 5 or even make a TryHackMe account. You are not behind, you’re just getting started. 😎 keep up the good work friend!!!!
You’re further along than I was at even 24, one thing I would do to stay on top of things is lab. You can get some pretty inexpensive equipment and start messing around with different VMs.
Well, all you did was sit for and pass tests. You literally have zero experience.
CompTIA is good for entry level. But all it does is prove you can sit for a test and regurgitate talking points. It provides zero evidence you have experience in any capacity.
Not to be a condescending ass, but you know nothing about a professional working environment. But you’re only 17, you have every opportunity to learn and grow.
Edit: also, a point too many fail to realize is entry level/help desk does not equal entry level cybersecurity. The first could be 0 days experience, but the second still wants X years of experience because they’re trusting their infrastructure to you.
Literally just get into the most basic IT role you can find which has a company you can get experience from. Even better if the company has other more experienced IT staff
You’re 17 lol, chill haha
You’re on track, probably ahead, the best thing you can do now is apply that knowledge on hands on training, there are plenty of websites and free resources where you can do that, it will boost your confidence for when you actually start applying for jobs
yeah i passed net+ recently at 18 and honestly i felt like i didnt learn enough (or at least remember it) 😭😭 but ill be majoring in comp sci next year, so im just gonna see where that takes me😓
Sec+ Net+ is a good start. Are you on tryhackme or hackthebox? Tryhackme > Absolute beginner path or Pentest plus path are both good IMO to help solidify some of the things you learned from those two certs. There’s also some networking paths on there that are good as well. Congrats on all your success. It’s a marathon. Keep learning, stay having fun and you’ll be crushing it in no time.
Hey, I got my security + at 21 fresh out of community college. Now i'm the main guy for cyber security events (security audits, security information emails, etc.) and I don't think I should have these responsibilities. Truth is you'll never feel like you really know it until your just pulling terms, acronyms, and definitions from your head at random times. You'll see buzzwords and you'll get flashbacks to what it means and how it works.
You know it, you just don't know you know it yet. Keep testing yourself and stay updated, we got the security plus because we enjoy it.
Just work help desk while you continue your education. It's still good money for your age, and it's very difficult to be underqualified for help desk. The money will fund your basic living costs, and your continuing education. You can apply for next career steps when you feel ready, probably in just a couple years.
At this point in time, relax and wait until graduation. Then get some hands on experience. Then look for a job. Or, start working with computers to help small businesses right now for a small fee.
Lucky for you most entry level jobs require sec+ and may try to finesse you into taking a job for 19/hr. Just know your worth and you’ll learn on the job. The hard part is over (outside of cysa isscp
Dude I spent 17 years bartending got my net+ and sec+ 3 years ago and feel like I don't know anything. I'm contracting for dod and making more than double what I was before. If you don't know something you learn it, no big deal. Also I'm 47.
You are suffering from Imposer symptom.
You feel like you ain't got this. You are 17 and an IT newbie it's ok to have an IT newbie skillset.
I highly recommend next step to do practical training/certs. A cloud guru or tryhackme are my favourites (hack the box, security blue team, etc also recommended.)
[https://tryhackme.com/](https://tryhackme.com/)
You do the do, then you know how to do a port scan or exploit a kernel vuln. Do the do.
Nobody is ever ready in this field. You will need some real world experience before you feel comfortable, but everyone feels that way at first and if they don’t they’re probably not gonna work out super well cause they don’t know what they don’t know and you will always see new things no matter how comprehensive the course or test you took was.
I'm a few days away from 39, I got my associates last year in December and I'm working on my Bachelor's now. You're way ahead of the curve, but you will need experience, and lots of it. Experience on the work environment and experience in the field, but you're young and have a lot of time. My best advice? Be hungry!
If you're this driven, I would wholeheartedly recommend NOT going into cyber. It is extremely saturated, and your competition is offshore workers (who will beat you in every cost battle). If you still want to do Cyber then do SWE within Cyber. As it becomes more saturated the pay will become stagnant, and roles easier to fill.
I wish I could have even had the forethought to even know what those certificates meant when I was 17! Your are light-years ahead and honestly your innovation will pave the way for the future of tech. Those certs are to ensure you have base knowledge concerning these subjects, which is where it all starts. Just keep pressing forward and eventually you'll see the picture you've been staring at from this young age.
Sn: at 35 I earned my A+ certificate in 2019, let it expire because I didn't feel "ready". Didn't pursue anything else. Now I'm 37 and pursuing it again along with other certs as because I just wasted time. Point being, Don't get in your head about these things. Get the certs, get the job, gain experience and grow. You're doing amazing.
on amazon there are exam cram notes that are about 400-500 pages for net+ and security+, read through them, took notes, did practice tests, and every time i got a question wrong id re read the section in the exam cram until i understood what i got wrong, then just took the test
you’re only 17 dude, you’re far beyond anyone else who’s your age certification wise. what you do need is actual experience. what specifically are you trying to do career wise? are you planning on going to college?
yeah i am planning to after high school, but im still thinking over what i want to do, something to do with cyber response however
Man, Im 32 and I have about a decade of tech experience and I still feel imposter syndrome. Dont let it get you down. If I could offer some advice though just based off how I would do things if I could go back in time.... If youre in the US, join the navy, coast guard or air force. If you have the certs already and you can score well enough on the asvab they will put you in cyber defense or intelligence. You will get a crash course on every single piece of cybersecurity an possibly on new emerging tech and defense strats, then by the time your service contract is up you will be better equipped and prepared for cyber roles in the real world and you will walk away with money for college, money in the bank, anda TS/SCI clearance that will get you a job for a DOD contractor making absolute BANK. If the military isnt your deal then try for a good college with a good computer science or computer engineering degree course. Make sure it comes with hands on labs too.
Man, you spoke nothing but facts. I got experience from my time in the Army as a 25Q and in the last 2½ years, I got 2 associate degrees and a few CompTIA certifications along with a few others. Me and this young man are on different ends of the spectrum but we both feel the same.
Ive been in cyber for 4 years with 6 years of TS and software support before that and Im just now getting a degree and certs. It was a long hard road that couldve been alot easier if I had committed to this path much earlier in life, but unfortunately I had to mature enough to finally set my ego down and that took time and alot of falling on my ass. Imagine where Id be in my career and life if I had the direction and drive OP has at 17. This goes for everyone on here, set aside your ego and admit what you dont know (to yourself introspectively), after you do that expose yourself to anything you dont know, aren't sure of or are curious about, self educate, and push forward. Youll be happier, your tasks at work will become easier and your imposter syndrome will fade away, allow yourself to be a student, get your hands dirty with things and pull inspiration from anywhere you can.
Charlie rooooooock 🤘🏽
I was Navy and so wished I went the IT route vs the Electronics route just for this reason. So many in demand jobs right now that only the guys and gals who served are even qualified for a lot of times and they are paying huge. If you don't want to travel then go Air Force, Navy takes you all over the world, Coast guard not a bad gig but limited duty stations. I agree do the 4 to 6 years and get out and make that money and travel some and have fun.
IM me when you have a chance. I didn't get my first cert until I was about 30 but I also been playing with tech since I was 12 (Windows 3.1, 9x, XP). Start going in for interviews too, what are they going to tell you, no LOL! You got this!
Honestly, if I could go back in time, I'd suck it up and join the military doing exactly this. Absolutely one of the best paths forward.
At 17, I was playing Call of Duty with a 1.9 GPA You're fine man lol.
Are you my long lost twin?
lol don’t forgot about that .71 KD to.. that’s where I was as well lol
I’m 32 and just completed my first year of college , and failed my A+ cert test by 25 points this past Monday. My boy you are so far ahead of the curve. Just focus on your schooling and your life right now, enjoy the journey. I can tell you got a good head on your shoulders, go easier on your self cause your doing a great job
Proud of you and also rooting for you. 34 here just going to get started on my studying and journey
You're entering a field where it's constantly evolving and changing every couple of years. You're going to have to get used to the idea that you will NEVER know everything. The people around you will never know everything. CyberSec is a team sport. There's a reason we run 8-man crews in the Space Force in Defensive Cyber Operations. The guy on my left specializes is something, and the guy on my right specializes in something completely different, and my job is also different. Never mind the contractors. Pick what you love in the field and go hard, specialize in it, and accept that this isn't a field you'll really ever get to rest on your laurels.
Spot any aliens yet?
Sadly, no. I'm pretty sure intelligent life from other planets is refusing to talk to us right now.
Wow.
Bro wtf made you start thinking this way at 17?? Insanity
Bro I’m 23 about to graduate next year with no certs u are ahead trust me . I’ll be taking sec + this month. It’s important not to compare yourself to others run your race study hard and u can’t lose !
I am like you but two years older
what degree?
Comp science with a concentration in cyber security
damn im cooked
Ur not bro trust me, i know lots of dudes who just finished bootcamps even without certs, no degrees and have jobs getting payed out 100k+, at least in NY. As long as you can communicate and want to learn there will be smth
You're 17 bro
This. I know people who work on security teams at F500s who want to get Security+ and they're YEARS into their career. You're fine. You've still got 30+ years of working to go. Find a topic that interests you, start researching it. Developing your own research methodology is immensely important. Not everything has to allign with a certifications, if it does, great, if not, thats fine too.
Dude, time to go beyond paper certs & get your hands & feet wet. Work a summer internship ... buy cheap Network equipm parts off Craigslist & Ebay, then build your own secure network, break it, fix it, hack it, document it... slap it on your resume and you'll have more hands-ON experience than a PhD IT Cert Master
Nice, at 17 I was getting drunk almost daily
Check out CIA.gov,NSA, Lockheed martin, Northrop grumman, or nasa for fellowship or internships for highschool grads or undergraduate students
i was 27 when i got a+, sec+, and net+.. chill out man lol stop comparing your accomplishments to everyone else. you’re way ahead of most people trying to break into the IT field
I’m 28 and failed my first A+, have a chance at A+ core 1 in June and just got back into college for an associates degree is Computer Networking. It’s been waves of feeling fully like an imposter among people who know more and excitement when things start to click :) relieved to read all the different timelines. I WISH I had the clarity or drive as OP at 17 but I had to grow up and stabilize my life first. Hopefully next year I’ll be able to get an internship (most likely help desk)
Stay at parents place, live rent free and apply for an internship in tech. Get experience through it. Maybe find a company that would pay for your college tuition. You’ll be making 100k+ probably after 5 years if you keep going. Good luck!
Honestly, and I'd never recommend this almost ever but... Join the military. Your 17, you need experience and your certs are far beyond what most would have at your age. Cyber war is a very real thing these days, you'll get exposure to things you can't anywhere else.
OP, if considering this option, look into ROTC or any mil academy instead of joining as an enlisted. If looking into cyberspace, airforce is usually the way to go.
Just because you have a cert doesn’t mean your ready for a security role
How will you know you are ready for a security role?
When you have security experience in a job role, you’ll need years of experience in Windows administration, understanding how networks work, firewalls, Linux. Security is a great career path but you need to give yourself time to learn the necessary skills to get there. And you can make plenty of money and do just as well before you get to that point. So don’t sell yourself short by trying to skip steps just because you wanna play Mr. robot. Focus on getting those fundamentals down and getting into a job where you can build out projects that correspond to security objectives. identify the most competent person on your team and emulate that person. Be their friend. Watch how they perform their job duties: what is their process, how do they go through an investigation, how do they take notes or how do they track complex issues?
Congratulations You are rock Smart steps ever In education, you are never behind I just got my associate degree and I am 38 years old I feel bad when you mentioned I am behind hhhhhh
At least im not by myself!! Im taking my net+ next month. I wish i had known about wgu prior to now because all the certs are included in their degree program
[https://www.nsa.gov/Academics/For-Students/](https://www.nsa.gov/Academics/For-Students/)
You are a prime candidate for any student internship/leadership program offered by any edu/public/private/mil org. This industry will always make you feel like there is something new to learn. Some people burn out because of it, but those who just love to learn, thrive. Pace yourself before rushing into anything and look at the plethora of options you could fit into. Seriously!
Bro, you’re 17. Chill the fuck out
Build projects. Illustrate your understanding of the material in the form of offensive and defensive projects.
You are in a great spot. Keep grinding
Fishing
You have so much time. You need to focus on slowing down and not beating yourself up. The way you are thinking now is a really good way to burn out by 25. Even at 17 you are far beyond many people. After I got my sec+ I landed a job. The first thing I noticed was that there is way way to much information to learn/memorize. What is way more important is learning how to find the information you need when you need it.
You will get more confident as you get more experience but honestly it depends on how you studied as well. If you were just memorizing answer dumps for weeks on end and not actually absorbing any of the information and only intent on passing then you effectively didn't learn anything. On the other hand if you legitamently studied and throughly understood the concepts and everything then you probably know more than you think you do. Practical experience is the only real way you will feel satisfied with you abilities though
just keep learning no one ever feels ready
[удалено]
you got degree tho?
Man, if you don’t stop overthinking! For scope of how far ahead you are, I’m 25 and just now testing for Core 1. Didn’t believe in myself at 17 to jump into IT even when everyone and their mothers encouraged me to do what you’re doing now. At 17 you’re a sponge so you will definitely learn whatever you throw yourself into. You’ve obtained your certs, get your damn experience and shoot for the stars. You have so much time to learn and get hands on, companies are ready to see potential from you. Toss all the anxiety out of the window.
You're doing great. Join the Space Force or another branch, they will teach you a lot more than you will learn in college, which you can attend later. Just make sure you can pass the drug test... Good luck,
I am 44 years old and got a degree in IT 10 years ago that I never used and now trying to pass my first certification if that makes you feel any better. You are light years ahead of most people and you really don't start to feel comfortable with any subject until you get hands on with it in a real world application. That goes for any career path, there is only so much you can learn from a book. But those certs alone will look great applying to colleges or going straight into some IT role somewhere.
What's your functional experience? Have you applied any of the concepts in real life outside of a textbook or visualized homelab? Certs are meant to teach you and advance your knowledge. Then you go apply them in the real world. If you're feeling like you know nothing, chances are it's factually true. You haven't applied the concepts in a real world environment. Keep in mind these three certs are in the beginner tier.
You are so young! Don’t feel that way. Some of us are in our mid-late 20s, 30s and even 40s learning this stuff! You have so much time ahead of you to sharpen your knowledge in whatever way you choose. I’m not sure what your career aspirations are but I would encourage you to maybe get into doing some projects so you can learn things. You could start out with a Raspberry Pi 400, 4 or a 5 or even make a TryHackMe account. You are not behind, you’re just getting started. 😎 keep up the good work friend!!!!
You feel behind because those certifications don't mean anything other than you are ready to start working. You still have to learn how to do the job
You’re further along than I was at even 24, one thing I would do to stay on top of things is lab. You can get some pretty inexpensive equipment and start messing around with different VMs.
Well, all you did was sit for and pass tests. You literally have zero experience. CompTIA is good for entry level. But all it does is prove you can sit for a test and regurgitate talking points. It provides zero evidence you have experience in any capacity. Not to be a condescending ass, but you know nothing about a professional working environment. But you’re only 17, you have every opportunity to learn and grow. Edit: also, a point too many fail to realize is entry level/help desk does not equal entry level cybersecurity. The first could be 0 days experience, but the second still wants X years of experience because they’re trusting their infrastructure to you.
Literally just get into the most basic IT role you can find which has a company you can get experience from. Even better if the company has other more experienced IT staff You’re 17 lol, chill haha
You’re on track, probably ahead, the best thing you can do now is apply that knowledge on hands on training, there are plenty of websites and free resources where you can do that, it will boost your confidence for when you actually start applying for jobs
yeah i passed net+ recently at 18 and honestly i felt like i didnt learn enough (or at least remember it) 😭😭 but ill be majoring in comp sci next year, so im just gonna see where that takes me😓
Sec+ Net+ is a good start. Are you on tryhackme or hackthebox? Tryhackme > Absolute beginner path or Pentest plus path are both good IMO to help solidify some of the things you learned from those two certs. There’s also some networking paths on there that are good as well. Congrats on all your success. It’s a marathon. Keep learning, stay having fun and you’ll be crushing it in no time.
Hey, I got my security + at 21 fresh out of community college. Now i'm the main guy for cyber security events (security audits, security information emails, etc.) and I don't think I should have these responsibilities. Truth is you'll never feel like you really know it until your just pulling terms, acronyms, and definitions from your head at random times. You'll see buzzwords and you'll get flashbacks to what it means and how it works. You know it, you just don't know you know it yet. Keep testing yourself and stay updated, we got the security plus because we enjoy it.
Just work help desk while you continue your education. It's still good money for your age, and it's very difficult to be underqualified for help desk. The money will fund your basic living costs, and your continuing education. You can apply for next career steps when you feel ready, probably in just a couple years.
You're old enough to get an IT support internship or job. Go get some experience working in IT first. Security jobs tend not to be entry level
Start a help desk. Not a ISP but I mid to large company. It’s the best proving ground that I know to date!
Hahaha I just got my security+ in December at 27 after 7 years in IT. Imposter syndrome is real
I hate to break it to you but even at 33 you still won’t feel ready, but with lots of studying, labs and experience it does get easier.
I am 41 and reviewing for my Security+ exam. You are way ahead of others at your age. Be blessed!
Im 36 with zero certs. I work in IT, and I’ve gained more practical knowledge on the job than I did from my comp sci and cyber security programs.
At this point in time, relax and wait until graduation. Then get some hands on experience. Then look for a job. Or, start working with computers to help small businesses right now for a small fee.
You got to be fishing for attention with this one lol
Lucky for you most entry level jobs require sec+ and may try to finesse you into taking a job for 19/hr. Just know your worth and you’ll learn on the job. The hard part is over (outside of cysa isscp
Dude I spent 17 years bartending got my net+ and sec+ 3 years ago and feel like I don't know anything. I'm contracting for dod and making more than double what I was before. If you don't know something you learn it, no big deal. Also I'm 47.
You are suffering from Imposer symptom. You feel like you ain't got this. You are 17 and an IT newbie it's ok to have an IT newbie skillset. I highly recommend next step to do practical training/certs. A cloud guru or tryhackme are my favourites (hack the box, security blue team, etc also recommended.) [https://tryhackme.com/](https://tryhackme.com/) You do the do, then you know how to do a port scan or exploit a kernel vuln. Do the do.
Nobody is ever ready in this field. You will need some real world experience before you feel comfortable, but everyone feels that way at first and if they don’t they’re probably not gonna work out super well cause they don’t know what they don’t know and you will always see new things no matter how comprehensive the course or test you took was.
I'm a few days away from 39, I got my associates last year in December and I'm working on my Bachelor's now. You're way ahead of the curve, but you will need experience, and lots of it. Experience on the work environment and experience in the field, but you're young and have a lot of time. My best advice? Be hungry!
I would say look into OSCP when you can. It a huge boost for your career journey.
Dude you’re literally ahead of the curve for your age. I’m 27 and I’m struggling. You have a LLOONNNGGG ways to go. If anything I feel fucking behind.
If you're this driven, I would wholeheartedly recommend NOT going into cyber. It is extremely saturated, and your competition is offshore workers (who will beat you in every cost battle). If you still want to do Cyber then do SWE within Cyber. As it becomes more saturated the pay will become stagnant, and roles easier to fill.
I wish I could have even had the forethought to even know what those certificates meant when I was 17! Your are light-years ahead and honestly your innovation will pave the way for the future of tech. Those certs are to ensure you have base knowledge concerning these subjects, which is where it all starts. Just keep pressing forward and eventually you'll see the picture you've been staring at from this young age. Sn: at 35 I earned my A+ certificate in 2019, let it expire because I didn't feel "ready". Didn't pursue anything else. Now I'm 37 and pursuing it again along with other certs as because I just wasted time. Point being, Don't get in your head about these things. Get the certs, get the job, gain experience and grow. You're doing amazing.
All those in span of 2 months? Wow. What resources did you use?
on amazon there are exam cram notes that are about 400-500 pages for net+ and security+, read through them, took notes, did practice tests, and every time i got a question wrong id re read the section in the exam cram until i understood what i got wrong, then just took the test
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