Career advice

[Resakra]

Hello my friends!


I am not sure if this forum is the right one to ask but I start here. Please let me know if this thread has to be moved to another forum.
I am willing to change my career gradually, have worked now couple of years as a lead electronic engineer, but am really obsessed with software/cyber security world, information security, data and Information management technologies. Moreover I like to work remote and on project-based routine, sometimes a lot to do and sometime off of work. There are some people in our department came from another field, doing the same level as my job since the leadership is not only about technical at the first place.
But I need to know if this is wise to do so. It would probably take a lot of energy and time and it may sound crazy to leave a well-paid job for something unclear for just a passion. Is it a romantic perspective to the cyber world or this is basically the same shit and just looks good for spectators? Is there any shortcut to do it with less pain?


Cheers /R

 

[Vrai]

I would offer the same advice I gave my son when he started out in his chosen career;

"Follow your bliss, and doors will open you never knew were there"
By Joseph Campbell

Thus far it has worked out well for my son

 

[Resakra]

Well actually I am and always have been that type of person but I paid a lot! So I want to learn from my mistakes meanwhile not to let my dreams fade away in front of my eyes.
And I am probabely not as young as your son its been a long journey.

 

[Deleted member 101831]

[Snip]
it may sound crazy to leave a well-paid job for something unclear for just a passion.

Stick with a sure thing and I quote "a well-paid job" instead of "for something unclear for just a passion.".

[Snip]
Is it a romantic perspective to the cyber world or this is basically the same shit and just looks good for spectators?

After awhile all dream jobs or whatever you want to call them become routine and boring and wind up sucking a big one.

Please excuse my crudeness.

[Snip]
Is there any shortcut to do it with less pain?

Cheers /R

Unfortunately if it were that easy obtainable we would all be software/cyber security specialist.

 

[KGIII]

Two different things spring to mind.

One, contractor. Contractors are often brought in on a per-project basis. My understanding is that you want to code for a living. There are tons of contract coders - but there are surely many EE contractors. There are risks, but if you're any good then you can probably pick up a job pretty quickly should your contracting offers run dry. You may want to get in touch with some recruiters.

Two, do your own thing. It's not always lucrative - but sometimes it's amazingly lucrative. That's how I got to where I am. I retired before I was 50, 'cause I got really damned lucky and sold my business. I didn't enjoy every day at work, but I enjoyed most of them. It was insanely difficult work and they say you'll never work harder than when you work for yourself.

So, there's some food for thought.

You who choose to lead must follow
But if you fall you fall alone
If you should stand then who's to guide you?
If I knew the way I would take you home

 

[rsydw]

This statement is killer "it may sound crazy to leave a well-paid job" in your path it is almost same thing like this quote "If i do something what people will say ".This have stopped many inventiones even. History and mythology also tells same "Pravish Nagar Kije Sab Kaja ,Hriday rakhi kaushalpur raja".

If you have passion and willingness and have enough capability so can follow your stinct.You will be better judge of yourself.No one knows you better than yourself.Now a days unlimited opportunities are available.IT field is having thousands of specializations.You have to decide in what you are good and which attracts you in real sense not imaginary.

Many fields in IT like Data Science,Machine Learning,Artificial Intelligence,Python,App Development,PHP still very good,Big Data,Hadoop ,Cloud-Azure,AWS,Google,Cyber Security,Ethical Hacking which are in recent major demand and it is going to have at least next 15 years from now.It is up to you take one of them and first of all you need to stop thinking about handsome salary if you have to follow your instinct.

Still you have good opportunity.In above mentioned areas lots of skill gaps observed and lot of efforts being made to fill the gap specially these areas.Many engineering college starting full time course in these technologies.Either they have just started or they are planning to do so.Industry still lacking of quality resources in these technologies.

You are the best judge to decide and it is absolutely in your control.

Best of luck.

 

[wizardfromoz]

Hey Stockholm Lady

I may be saying what you have already thought out.

Résumé/C-V

A résumé and a C-V (Latin Curriculum Vitae) are usually interchangeable in many countries, except in the USA, where a résumé is competency-based and a C-V is credential-based and usually longer and more detailed.

Head Hunters

Not a South American tribe who take your head off, shrink it, and wear it as a necklace, but companies or agencies that act as an intermediary between a job-seeker and an employer looking for staff.

So look for Head Hunters in the cyber security field, and get your résumé/C-V into their hands. You will pay a fee for their services, as will the employer.

Certifications

Kali have one, as does Redhat. Do the courses/certificates.

Servers

Linux is the industry leader in server technology. Some through RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux), some through SLES (SUSE Linux Enterprise Server), some through Ubuntu, and there are others.

WINDOWS

Who said that? Eek!!!

Get fluent in Windows as used by employees in companies you may work for. These companies may have Windows on the workstations but run Linux Servers.

RSS Feeds

Subscribe to some, so that you keep up-to-date on the cyber-security industry.

Passport

Keep it current, you may have to travel to perform work. And to that effect

Another Language

Be prepared to learn one. You already have Swedish and English.

Stay Employed

... while undertaking the above, if you can, do everything you can online to get the credentials, but keep paid - you don't know where/when your first paycheck will happen in your chosen vocation. Your social life may have to take a back seat if you have to study after work.

I will not wish you good luck, luck should not factor into it. But I DO wish you all the best.

Wizard

 

[Resakra]

Hey Stockholm Lady

I may be saying what you have already thought out.

Résumé/C-V

A résumé and a C-V (Latin Curriculum Vitae) are usually interchangeable in many countries, except in the USA, where a résumé is competency-based and a C-V is credential-based and usually longer and more detailed.

Head Hunters

Not a South American tribe who take your head off, shrink it, and wear it as a necklace, but companies or agencies that act as an intermediary between a job-seeker and an employer looking for staff.

So look for Head Hunters in the cyber security field, and get your résumé/C-V into their hands. You will pay a fee for their services, as will the employer.

Certifications

Kali have one, as does Redhat. Do the courses/certificates.

Servers

Linux is the industry leader in server technology. Some through RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux), some through SLES (SUSE Linux Enterprise Server), some through Ubuntu, and there are others.

WINDOWS

Who said that? Eek!!!

Get fluent in Windows as used by employees in companies you may work for. These companies may have Windows on the workstations but run Linux Servers.

RSS Feeds

Subscribe to some, so that you keep up-to-date on the cyber-security industry.

Passport

Keep it current, you may have to travel to perform work. And to that effect

Another Language

Be prepared to learn one. You already have Swedish and English.

Stay Employed

... while undertaking the above, if you can, do everything you can online to get the credentials, but keep paid - you don't know where/when your first paycheck will happen in your chosen vocation. Your social life may have to take a back seat if you have to study after work.

I will not wish you good luck, luck should not factor into it. But I DO wish you all the best.

Wizard

Hey Wizi,

Sure you are senior to me and speak 100s of languages since you just seem one day over 300 years, so I would definitely take your advice to go for a Kali or RedHat certificate So hopefully one of thoes cruel modern head hunters would catch me. what kind of jobs are available for thoes certificates? Sys admin? I am definetly not capable as a software developer

 

[Resakra]

To make the story short, I quote from Eric Raymond here:

"For the true Hackers, the boundaries between play, work, science and art all tend to disappear, or merge to a high level of creative playfulness".

It may take 10 years to get there but to stand on this point feels just fantastic. My life has been under HARDWARE Partitioning. Work, hobby, personal achievement ... are apart from each other .. that sucks!

 

[Resakra]

according Kali Linux homepage:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person proctoring of the KLCP certification is unfortunately not currently possible.

 

[wizardfromoz]

I can understand that in-person proctoring would be cancelled for now - don't even know if that is available in your neck of the woods. There is online exam proctoring aka online video test proctoring, we would have to see if Kali have that facility (Google ) - but at least you might be able to do the study and be ready for when this blessed pandemic is over or under control?

That won't take 10 years

what kind of jobs are available for thoes certificates?

Beats me, let's Google

 

[wizardfromoz]

BTW - I'm 5,000 years old, like Gandalf. Say I look like 300, and I'll put you on the top of my Christmas Card List.

 

[Resakra]

BTW - I'm 5,000 years old, like Gandalf. Say I look like 300, and I'll put you on the top of my Christmas Card List.

Hahah I should have known

 

[Resakra]

I can understand that in-person proctoring would be cancelled for now - don't even know if that is available in your neck of the woods. There is online exam proctoring aka online video test proctoring, we would have to see if Kali have that facility (Google ) - but at least you might be able to do the study and be ready for when this blessed pandemic is over or under control?

That won't take 10 years



Beats me, let's Google

I hope so. Whatever I touch is already died through pandemic

 

[f33dm3bits]

Hey Wizi,

Sure you are senior to me and speak 100s of languages since you just seem one day over 300 years, so I would definitely take your advice to go for a Kali or RedHat certificate So hopefully one of thoes cruel modern head hunters would catch me. what kind of jobs are available for thoes certificates? Sys admin? I am definetly not capable as a software developer

I haven't been able to make good use of my RHLS(Red Hat Learning Subscription) this year because of not being able to take exams since corona started. There are Redhat certifications for sysadmins(sysadmin,egineer,etc.) and for developers(jboss, api, docker development ,etc.)

 

[Resakra]

I haven't been able to make good use of my RHLS(Red Hat Learning Subscription) this year because of not being able to take exams since corona started. There are Redhat certifications for sysadmins(sysadmin,egineer,etc.) and for developers(jboss, api, docker development ,etc.)

The signature of yours is so true.
"All things are difficult before they are easy"
"Nothing that is worthwhile is ever easy"

Well, actually I saw their webpage yesterday and they turn you to be Specialist/Engineer/Professional sys admin .
Do you see any of those, matching for a beginner profile?
Ubuntu .i.e to give you a similar certificate, requires at least 6 months experience as sys admin.

 

[f33dm3bits]

Officially certifications are focused on people with in field experience, even the target audience in the exam description for syadmin and engineer says so. I can tell you from experience that anyone who is willing to take the time to learn is able to pass exams and achieve certifications, that goes for Redhat, Ubuntu or whatever certification you want to go for there may be a few exceptions but generally speaking.

 

[wizardfromoz]

My bad, I should have remembered - I only learnt recently of my friend @f33dm3bits 's credentials in Redhat.

Mate - Redhat themselves are always right on top of security matters such as viruses that can affect Linux - Like Mcafee and Norton are to Windows. Do they not have some credentials that can "groom" a person in security, or is that an integral part of the sysadmin route?

 

[f33dm3bits]

My bad, I should have remembered - I only learnt recently of my friend @f33dm3bits 's credentials in Redhat.

Mate - Redhat themselves are always right on top of security matters such as viruses that can affect Linux - Like Mcafee and Norton are to Windows. Do they not have some credentials that can "groom" a person in security, or is that an integral part of the sysadmin route?

There are some specific certifications for security when it comes to security practices in RHEL, but as a sysadmin you generally learn about good security practices from those with more experience who you work with and as you get more experience yourself. But mostly sysadmin and system security go hand in hand since your are responsible for the security of the systems you manage, although in most companies there will also be a CERT responsible for all of the digital security of the company.

 

[f33dm3bits]

You haven't been able to make good use of RHLS(Red Hat Learning Subscription) due to pandemic though

I only did one exam this year, I was at the point to being able to keep my current specialized certification by doing 3 exams a year. Now that I was only able to do one I would have to do around 4 exams next year, I decided I will focus on something else the rest of this year and whole next year. If I can pass a bunch of exams once I can pass them again if I need to, all the certifications I have now are on my CV and I am able to show them if I were able to go on a job interview.