Tech careers from IT Support Specialist to Cybersecurity
The tech world continues to grow in all types of economies and so does the need for skilled professionals to keep everything running smoothly. If you’re interested in a career in IT, you probably are wondering what path to choose.
Today I’m talking about three careers that CompTIA Certifications can help you achieve: IT Support Specialist, Network Specialist, and Cybersecurity Specialist. So, the biggest question I get is, “Mike, what do people do in these careers”? Today I’m taking about what each of these careers do on a daily basis.
IT Support Specialist (CompTIA A+):
The troubleshooter. IT Support Specialists are the first line of defense for any tech woes. They diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve a wide range of issues from hardware to software; keeping employees productive by ensuring their systems are running. Support personnel help colleagues within a company or provide customer support remotely. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the median national salary at $56,500.
Network Specialist (CompTIA Network+):
The network whisperer. Companies these days have lots of data, network specialists keep the data flowing. They analyze, troubleshoot, and ensure the smooth operation of an organization’s network. In more advanced positions, network specialists design and build communication networks. Other advanced positions may focus on network security. Keeping data safe is a big part of the job. This is achieved through hardware configuration and user training. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the median national salary at $78,640.
Cybersecurity Specialist (CompTIA Security+):
The guardian of the digital world. Cybersecurity specialists are frontline defense against cyber threats. They utilize software to detect threats, implement security measures, and keep systems safe. Security Operations Center (SOC) teams work collaboratively to combat threats. Cybersecurity specialists require big picture thinking, the need to see the forest for the trees, safeguarding systems from ever-evolving threats. The role requires a wide range of skills, from documenting security solutions to writing security policies. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the median national salary at $122,000.
So, which path is right for you? Consider your interests and strengths.
Do you enjoy solving puzzles and helping people? IT Support Specialist might be a good fit.
Are you fascinated by networks and security? Network Specialist or Cybersecurity Specialist could be your calling.
This is just a brief overview, but hopefully, it’s peaked your interest! With the tech sector’s continuous growth, these IT careers offer stability, good salaries, and the chance to be at the forefront of innovation. Never pay full price for your certification!
Talk to you next week,
Mike
Use discount code Blooming to save $15 on our CompTIA vouchers thru May 1st
We will award $50,000 in tuition scholarships for enrollment in our Certified Defense Security Analyst training program to eligible to help meet the cybersecurity employment demand.
Upcoming Live training courses. Join our SOC team for 12-weeks of hands-on training and experience. Call 703-740-2909
Join me for a live webinar hosted by CyberNow Labs for Hands on Cyber Career Training
Talk to someone who made the change to cybersecurity from an IT career. Meet with my friend Patrick, tell him Mike sent ya!
US and International Discount Exam Vouchers: Purchase a CompTIA voucher and save on the cost of your exams.
Practice Tests: TotalTester practice tests have hundreds of questions in a pool that allows you to create custom exams by exam domain or by chapter. Take tests in Practice mode with assistance (hints and explanations) or in Final mode (simulate the real exams). Includes complete explanations for each question.
Interactive simulations: TotalSims for A+, Network+, and Security+, hundreds of online simulated labs. Prepare for CompTIA’s performance-based questions and learn more about technical concepts covered on the exams.
Total Seminars e-books are now available: Check out all of our e-book titles. Available 24/7 for immediate access on the Total Seminars Training Hub
Cracking the Code: Your Guide to a Cybersecurity Career
With the ever-growing threat of cyberattacks, cybersecurity jobs are booming. There’s a constant demand for skilled professionals to protect our data. But how do you break into this exciting field? Here’s a roadmap to get you started.
Build your foundation with IT Skills. Cybersecurity is built on a strong understanding of computers and networks. Brush up on programming basics, network administration, and maybe even cloud computing. Whether you take them or not the skills you learn in the A+ and Network+ certifications are a great foundation for beginning techs.
Certifications like CompTIA Security+ are the minimum you need to get started in cybersecurity, and PenTest+ for penetration testers. These certification validates your knowledge and gives you a leg-up in the job market.
Find your path. Cybersecurity offers a variety of specializations. Here are a few popular choices:
Security Analysts identify and analyze security threats, perfect for those who love puzzles and problem-solving.
Penetration Tester (Ethical Hacker) thinks like an attacker to find vulnerabilities in systems before the bad guys.
Security Engineers design and implement security systems to keep data safe.
Educate yourself. You need credentials on your resume. Although there are lots of jobs, they want qualified candidates. There are several paths depending on your base knowledge, time availability, and available funding.
Intensive programs offer a faster track to learn in-demand skills.
Self-Learning: There are tons of online resources, courses, and tutorials to equip yourself with the knowledge you need.
While not mandatory these days, a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information security, or a related field also provides a strong foundation.
Experience. The conundrum of needing experience to get a job and need a job to get experience. Here are some ideas.
Look for internship opportunities to gain practical experience and build your resume. Programs that offer hands on and internship opportunities are a good way to get something on your resume.
Entry-level security analyst positions can be a great way to get your foot in the door. They usually have moderate pay, but if you know your skills, you can elevate your position quickly.
Keep learning, ALWAYS. The cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving. Stay updated by attending conferences, reading industry publications, and participating in online communities.
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t have years of experience, Cybersecurity is still a young career. Many employers value transferable skills, a passion for learning, and a willingness to dive into this dynamic field. With dedication and the right approach, you can crack the code and build a rewarding career in cybersecurity.
Talk to you next week,
Mike
We will award $50,000 in tuition scholarships for enrollment in our Certified Defense Security Analyst training program to eligible to help meet the cybersecurity employment demand.
Upcoming Live training courses. Join our SOC team for 12-weeks of hands-on training and experience. Call 703-740-2909
Join me for a live webinar hosted by CyberNow Labs for Hands on Cyber Career Training
Talk to someone who made the change to cybersecurity from an IT career. Meet with my friend Patrick, tell him Mike sent ya!
US and International Discount Exam Vouchers: Purchase a CompTIA voucher and save on the cost of your exams.
Practice Tests: TotalTester practice tests have hundreds of questions in a pool that allows you to create custom exams by exam domain or by chapter. Take tests in Practice mode with assistance (hints and explanations) or in Final mode (simulate the real exams). Includes complete explanations for each question.
Interactive simulations: TotalSims for A+, Network+, and Security+, hundreds of online simulated labs. Prepare for CompTIA’s performance-based questions and learn more about technical concepts covered on the exams.
Total Seminars e-books are now available: Check out all of our e-book titles. Available 24/7 for immediate access on the Total Seminars Training Hub
CompTIA certification news you don’t want to miss
Changes are coming in 2024. I know I have talked a little about some of the upcoming updates to CompTIA Certifications, but let’s talk more details. First and very exciting news is that CompTIA’s Security+ SY0-601 was initially set to retire in July 2024, but CompTIA has delayed the retirement until December 2024. If you are studying for the SY0-601 exam, keep on it. This is great news for students, but don’t let it slow your studies, let it reinvigorate your studies. Refocus and set your schedule to get it completed, so you don’t have to change the objectives you are studying.
I know I said this before, but CompTIA has been making some changes in all their certifications. What I see is less crossover of skills between their certifications, this makes great sense! With less crossover, each certification can have better focus on the topics, and prevents the certifications from having to much sprawl in topics.
Network+ will be in its ninth rendition releasing in June 20, 2024. Wow, is all I have to say. While the goal of the Network+ is still focused on core networking skills and securing networks, there are a lot of changes in the Network+. A surprising number of topics have been removed from the exam, some are overdue. Not only have they eliminated duplicated skills in their certifications, but they are focusing on overall concepts. Gone is emphasis on technical specifics, don’t get me wrong know your specs, but the emphasis is more on understanding the concepts.
The domains are similar from N10-008 to N10-009,in naming as well as their weightings. Disaster recovery concepts continue to be a important, but they have also added an emphasis on implementation of disaster recovery. The biggest change in the domain weighting is in the Network Security domain. The domain has a 5% higher weighting in N10-009 with an emphasis on understanding attack types and effects rather than comparisons, a direct correlation to our current network needs.
Don’t miss study tips in my study blog.
Mike
30% off Discount Code for Eclipse Day!
Use discount code ECLIPSE to finish your certification journey with 30% off our A+, Network+, and Security+ TotalSims and Total Tester Bundle through April 10th.
For 10 weeks, we will award $50,000 in tuition scholarships for enrollment in our Certified Defense Security Analyst training program to eligible to help meet the cybersecurity employment demand.
Upcoming Live training courses. Join our SOC team for 12-weeks of hands-on training and experience. Call 703-740-2909
Talk to someone who made the change to cybersecurity from an IT career. Meet with my friend Patrick and tell him Mike sent ya!
Join me for a live webinar hosted by CyberNow Labs for Hands on Cyber Career Training
US and International Discount Exam Vouchers: Purchase a CompTIA voucher and save on the cost of your exams.
Practice Tests: TotalTester practice tests have hundreds of questions in a pool that allows you to create custom exams by exam domain or by chapter. Take tests in Practice mode with assistance (hints and explanations) or in Final mode (simulate the real exams). Includes complete explanations for each question.
Interactive simulations: TotalSims for A+, Network+, and Security+, hundreds of online simulated labs. Prepare for CompTIA’s performance-based questions and learn more about technical concepts covered on the exams.
Navigating certifications to an IT career
Now I know I have said this before, but it is true. Studying for certification exams requires a systematic approach to cover the exam objectives to gain a solid understanding of the concepts and skills tested. Don’t study practice test questions, study the concepts.
Prepare to pass your certification exams with good study materials. If you understand the concepts in the objectives, you can answer any question on an exam. Everyone has a different way of learning, it is hard to say what the is the best product for an individual to learn, you have assess that for yourself. Determine what you need to seat the concepts in your mind!
For those who learn well by reading, look to exam guides. You can find a complete understanding to prepare for a certification, like in my All in One books, that will cover your from the basics to passing the exam. If you are an existing tech, looking to pass the exam, I like to call you “swiss cheese” knowledge techs. You know what you work with well, but need to fill in the “holes” to pass your exams, and are looking for the exam facts. Review the objectives and focus your studies on the topics you don’t know well.
Get your hands dirty, practice, practice, practice. Whether it is working with setting up the hardware or configuring the software, get some time working on your skills. Use online interactive simulations to help you apply technical concepts and practice answering CompTIA’s performance-based questions. Hands on labs help you apply the concepts and give you confidence in your knowledge.
Certification exams are expensive, prepare to pass the first time by using practice exams. Practice exams are a great way for you to know when you are ready to take the actual exams. You can use them at the end of your studies to see if you are ready to take the exams. If you are using it as a final check, don’t just trust that one pass is good enough, be certain to take several exams and ensure your scores are consistent. If you choose to use practice questions as an integral part of their study, be certain to use a larger pool of questions. More questions help ensure that you are learning the concepts, and not just memorizing the answers to the questions in the database.
For students who learn better in more of a classroom based learning with an instructor explaining topics, utilize computer based learning video series. With videos, the instructor explains the concepts. This makes it easier for some to learn with an instructor explaining the objectives and how they are applied in the certification.
For us older techs, don’t be afraid to admit you don’t remember how to study! These are big decisions especially because so much is riding on you passing the exam. If you are in an IT career, want to go further but find it hard to study, you may need to step up to instructor led training. Instructor led can cost more than self study, but it also motivates to get it done. Getting the certification will get you into the position faster, and for some the instructor led cost is worth it.
No matter how you study, when you are ready don’t pay full price. Save on the cost of certification exams with Discount Exam Vouchers.
Mike
Don’t miss study tips in my study blog.
For 10 weeks, we will award $50,000 in tuition scholarships for enrollment in our Certified Defense Security Analyst training program to eligible to help meet the cybersecurity employment demand.
Upcoming Live training courses. Join our SOC team for 12-weeks of hands-on training and experience. Call 703-740-2909
Talk to someone who made the change to cybersecurity from an IT career. Meet with my friend Patrick and tell him Mike sent ya!
Join me for a live webinar hosted by CyberNow Labs for Hands on Cyber Career Training
US and International Discount Exam Vouchers: Purchase a CompTIA voucher and save on the cost of your exams.
Practice Tests: TotalTester practice tests have hundreds of questions in a pool that allows you to create custom exams by exam domain or by chapter. Take tests in Practice mode with assistance (hints and explanations) or in Final mode (simulate the real exams). Includes complete explanations for each question.
Interactive simulations: TotalSims for A+, Network+, and Security+, hundreds of online simulated labs. Prepare for CompTIA’s performance-based questions and learn more about technical concepts covered on the exams.
Total Seminars e-books are now available: Check out all of our e-book titles. Available 24/7 for immediate access on the Total Seminars Training Hub
Cybersecurity Career Path
Some of you may have heard about my March initiative to get students rolling toward a Security+ Certification. I mean it, we need cybersecurity techs and it starts with CompTIA Security+ Certification. So much so that I gave away over 1,200 free Security+ video series to get people motivated to get into this career.
In my nearly 30 years training millions of techs, I really believe we changed for the better the IT industry hiring practices. Particularly the qualification requirements at the technical level. As a self-studied man that didn’t take the traditional college route, I’ve had great satisfaction watching companies realize the value of certifications and hands on training better job qualifiers for techs. I have been saying this for over thirty years!
In today’s interconnected world, cybersecurity threats have become more sophisticated and pervasive than ever before. The demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals, especially those with experience in security operations centers (SOC), is rapidly increasing. Organizations of all sizes and industries require dedicated teams to monitor, detect, and respond to security incidents. This high demand ensures a multitude of job opportunities and career growth prospects.
SOCs are a great place to start your cybersecurity career. Proper SOC training equips professionals with the necessary skills to understand threat landscapes, work with incident response and mitigation, and analyze threat intelligence analysis.
The bottom line is if you have enthusiasm for the field, and embrace continuous learning, you can become a cybersecurity professional who makes a difference.
I love talking to folks to hear how they are making this career change. I’ve got to say, my pals at CyberNow Labs are doing something unique to help people of any background make this pivot.
Mike
Upcoming Live training courses. Join our SOC team for 12-weeks of hands-on training and experience. Call 703-740-2909
Talk to someone who made the change to cybersecurity from an IT career. Meet with my friend Patrick and tell him Mike sent ya!
Join me for a live webinar hosted by CyberNow Labs for Hands on Cyber Career Training
Total Seminars has resources to help you self-study for your CompTIA Certifications
US and International Discount Exam Vouchers: Lowest Prices!! Purchase a CompTIA voucher and save on the cost of your exams.
Total Seminars e-books are now available: Check out all of our e-book titles. Available 24/7 for immediate access on the Total Seminars Training Hub.
Practice Tests: TotalTester practice tests have hundreds of questions in a pool that allows you to create custom exams by exam domain or by chapter. Take tests in Practice mode with assistance (hints and explanations) or in Final mode to see if you are ready for the real exams. Includes complete explanations for each question.
Interactive simulations: TotalSims for A+ and Network+ have hundreds of online simulated labs. Prepare for CompTIA’s performance-based questions and learn more about technical concepts covered on the exams.