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Given the wide range of possible IT security careers, how do you know which path to follow? Should you specialise or generalise? Should you be a policy maker (aka management speak geek) or a techie? Should you be internal security or external consultancy?
Would love to give the impression I am just asking out of curiousity but of course I'm not.
what do you want to do (besides get paid)?
The security field is huge and constantly growing, so pick and choose.
No one can tell you these things...Quote:
Do what you love...love what you do.
Some people are better at management then others...
some people are great at troubleshooting...working under stress
some people love to code
some people are better at dealing with lusers...others with management.
some people like working on thier own...others with a team...
some jobs involve travel...
Maybe you should evaluate your skill set, what you like doing, what you want to do and pick from there
Good luck
MLF
apply for every position and pick the one that pays most ;)
but seriosly. If you dont enjoy what you do you will be miserable. Find something that you like, and if somone is willing to pay you to do it, cool.
about specializing. Its good to have a speacilty, but the term "idiot savant" comes ot mind. its someone who knows tons about one thing and nothing about everything else. Not good. Pick a focus and go for it, but dont forget that there are other things out there. Besides you cant be an expert in something without atleast know how it works with other things.
yea...we call them crazy ;)Quote:
some people love to code
yup. the one that pays the most and requires you to do the least. ;)Quote:
but seriously. if you are asking this question. perhaps you are new to the industry. remember, you need a lot of experince to get a security job.
the truth is. if you are "the" security guy and a security incident happens - it's your job on the line. you might even loose your job because of the security incident. IT jobs are hard enough to come by in this economy - when you get one - it's like winning a lottery - you really don't want to be out there looking for new IT jobs. you better be sure you really know you stuff better than the guys that will try to 'cause the incident.
I stumbled into IT...after I had my kids I went back for training as my music skills were just not gonna provde me with the stability and normal life I felt I needed to bring up my kids....
So I retrained.....
I already had some experience in IT...and common sense
I went into IT because I liked it... and I had a knack for it.....and I still do...I like the challenge, the constant learning, the communities...the opportunities......
Although IT was alot different back then ;)
It took 24 floopies to install a NOS :(
In todays society...you may have several careers
Like what you do......do what you like
Its not just about $$$$
MLF
.. but it *IS* about getting your employer to pay for the latest and coolest computer gadgets for you to play with. :)Quote:
Find a job you like and just do it....makes a great slogan but a lousy reality...
the fact is most people are in jobs because they took what was ' available ' at the time...and some got lucky that it turned out well...but most just muddle through from one day to the next looking forward to retirement and the day they can kiss the job good-bye...
in this day-n-age...you take whatever is out there and be happy you even have a job. First: Get a job....Second: Then look for that dream job, while you have a job...Third: Consider yourself very fortunate if it ever comes your way
In one word: Diversify!
It'll open up more opportunities.
Eg ;)
Edit: then after you have a job you can also ' specialize your talents '...but read help wanted sections and job placement sites to see what people are looking for...and try to project what they will still be looking for when you're ready to enter that field...or you may find yourself competing against 10,000 other people for the same job.
i hate to ring the doom bell during this happy thread - but that's kind of what infosec is like now a days. ever since 9/11 - every bob, dick and harry figured out that there will be money to be made in infosec so they all jumped on the same gravy train.Quote:
Originally posted here by Egaladeist
...or you may find yourself competing against 10,000 other people for the same job.
i just finished reading about this new breed of infosec job title called "IPO". "Information Protection Officer"! basically, if you are a pencil pusher with zero technical skills but you still want to be infosec, you try for become that.
actually where I live it truley is an employee's market. unemployment is at a record low. So you can find a job doing atleast something similar to what you want. we are losing a lot of our better techs (and have been for the last year) because other companies can pay them a lot more, or offer them something we cant. Ive been offered higher paying jobs, but have not taken them becasue I like the company I work for. so its not about only the money, but money is the reason any of us work, so its a large factor.
but finding a job, any job, then looking for one you like is a great idea. Im always looking fo a new job, and I am happy where I am working now, lol. but you never know when something better will come along.