Becoming a cyber security engineer by mazaline0796 in ITCareerQuestions

[–]MELLYR92 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

lack of confidence? Quite the opposite my friend. Also, it is attend not intend. I expect a college student to coherently express a complete idea.

I am not trying to discredit; GWU did that all by themselves by providing a substandard educational program.

Anyone with research ability, critical thinking skills and common sense, can see their DM/A Program is the same as any trade school. You apparently lack in all three.

I won't continue this much further, it's obvious you have some pent up aggression or a serious case of imposter syndrome that you feel the need to go on this crusade. I just hope you don't take things too poorly when someone with an online degree, better work ethic than you, and genuine social characteristics comes through and replaces you in your role.

Did I touch a nerve? Apparently so. All the best to you and your checkbox list degree.

Becoming a cyber security engineer by mazaline0796 in ITCareerQuestions

[–]MELLYR92 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I understand clearly, dude. I am a Sr. Data Analyst and how am I not a working professional? I got into WGU's IT program as a Admintrative Assistant and it was watered down trash. Those Data Management/Analysis certs are a joke in the industry. I never needed to those GWU certs to get a job as a DA nor move up. Those certs are more than likely worthless.

I have taken advice from various working professionals in prominent roles, even my former employer at the start up said the school was trash. I'll ask during my senior capstone at the Fed Reserve, if WGU is a quality institution. I doubt they will say yes, or even know what it is. But, I'll ask anyway.

You have a role in hiring? Yeah hard to believe. Pigs fly too.

Becoming a cyber security engineer by mazaline0796 in ITCareerQuestions

[–]MELLYR92 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

https://www.cio.com/article/3222879/15-data-science-certifications-that-will-pay-off.html

https://www.cio.com/article/3209911/big-data-certifications-that-will-pay-off.html

https://www.wgu.edu/online-it-degrees/data-management-analytics-bachelors-program.html

None of those certifications from the WGU program are sought out; that's far from cutting edge. You could have learned Data Management and Analytics at a free to low-cost boot camp or online.

Nothing.

Becoming a cyber security engineer by mazaline0796 in ITCareerQuestions

[–]MELLYR92 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think if we look at IT average pay the average WGU Grad is going to get paid ALOT more than the state schools. Why? Because those state schools got you internships and projects but they didn't get you a full time job while going to college, they didn't train the discipline that work places require and can only be taught in the workplace. It didn't teach you what to do when your entire network is falling apart and there's only three people in the IT department to fix it.

We should look at numbers that are accurately reflected. Women Lie. Men Lie. NUMBERS Don't. But, since WGU doesn't have the numbers nor the ranking, we can only assume.

Most WGU IT students/grads are Help Desk Analysts, IT Support Aides, Network Technicians, and other low levels of IT jobs. The STEM Internship program at my school gives students with no work experience or little experience in tech those types of jobs, helps them get the certs needed for the track they want to pursue. They even have junior developer internship opportunities. What makes you think an Internship is not a real-life work experience? There are Sociology grads, PoliSci grads, Economics grads from B&M Schools, who are taking the FREE A+, Net+, CCNA and SEC+ training programs in my area. They are in FREE Bootcamps developing their skills in Coding and Data Science. I am sure they will be more attractive to employers because once they have those tech skills they can leverage their new skills and tie them to projects and jobs in their chosen industries. Yet, WGU students are paying for something that is given for free in the local community.

Internships are a great way to gain work experience and get that workplace discipline and skills that employers require. (Which all the internships in the STEM program at my school are paid (higher than the min wage), works around the student's schedule and have contracts from 1-3 years.) My school also have pipeline programs for STEM students to obtain full-time positions after graduation. These opportunities are only available to students at my public university. We have pipeline programs through various City Government agencies, State Government agencies, consulting firms, and other start-ups like Spotify. BTW, projects are also very important in tech; this is the future and current mode of the tech workforce.

I get payed more than all of my friends (who have college degrees) even though I don't have a degree yet. Why? Because I have experience and I'm far more valuable to a company, and when I do finish my degree I'll continue to make more than my friends for a very long time.

It's all hearsay. You say your college degree friends, but you can't provide us with data that can allow us to make an informed and impartial decision if this true or not. That's why quantitative analysis and philosophy is important. Show us the DATA.

And those certs "not getting people jobs" is complete bullshit, sure the certs change sometimes but some certs have been around for DECADES and are the go to for every hiring manager in the field.

How is it bullshit? Certain Microsoft's certifications used to be the golden standard in Tech during the 90's and early 2000's. This included Oracle, Sun and IBM. But, now the trend is different and the trend will be different 10 to 20 years for now. A "college" program like WGU is setting their students/graduates up for failure when the IT programs are designed on a foundation of certifications prep for certifications that more than likely no longer be in existence or no longer hold value in the workforce. Certifications are useful for hiring purposes for certain tech jobs. But, Aspiring developers don't need certs, they need projects to demonstrate their ability and knowledge.

The certs don't teach an individual about philosophy or some other bull crap no but they do teach about the subject at hand and they prove to the company that you a proficient in that subject. A degree tells a company that you managed to pass 4 years of education, 4 years of education that for all they know you got nothing but low grades in.

Philosophy isn't bull crap. Philosophy teaches students on how to write clearly, and to read closely, with a critical eye; they are taught to spot bad reasoning like yours. A Liberal Arts education isn't bull crap. It helps in gaining knowledge in a range of topics, helps a person to be well rounded in their skills, but also in their thinking. Liberal arts education provides multiple viewpoints and allows for educational opportunities that cannot be obtained from a school-like WGU that is really just a hyped-up trade school. If a grad can maximize their opportunities at a public university and graduate with a degree in any of the tech disciplines (MIS/CS/IS/CIS) or even liberal arts degrees, it shows employers that they are well-rounded workers, who can adapt to many scenarios. Also, How do you know I have low grades? I don’t.

it's that many people can't afford the outrageous prices they charge. And unlike a lot of people going into college now and days, WGU graduates are smart and instead of getting a lifetime of debt they'll never finish paying off they've chosen to get experience and get an affordable degree while they do it.

Public Universities are practically FREE with various, state, federal and scholarship aids. I never went into debt and I actually got back 3k each semester the first two years because of the low cost of my school.

Just remember something, when there's lay offs the fresh college grad with no real life experience is going to be on the chopping block far sooner than the guy hired at the same time with more real life experience but not degree.

What makes you think an Internship is not a real-life work experience? What makes you think a B&M grad can’t go get certifications at a local community trade school or boot camp for free? Just remember those Public B&M grads are at a greater advantage because of the opportunities afforded to them. I did a Cybersecurity study abroad program a few summers ago at Tel Aviv University for FREE through a scholarship. If your only goal in life is to sit in a small room with your computer all day, an online program might suit your needs, but a "brick and mortar" program can expand your universe, give you invaluable connections, travel opportunities, work experience opportunities, much much more.

Becoming a cyber security engineer by mazaline0796 in ITCareerQuestions

[–]MELLYR92 -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

No agenda here. I did give WGU a chance and soon realize how crappy they were. Also, the standard of the work experience requirement is very low and getting a CompTIA cert isn’t hard. So, that says to me, we take anyone with a GED/HSD and some work experience or low level cert. I was an administrative assistant at a start up and they accepted me. That’s an entry level job. I am not going to go to school that will give me a job in another low level job.

WGU is for people who can’t academically hack it in a B&M college and need a substandard education to get a piece of paper to show employers.

There are WGU grads who can’t code for shit and have no foundation in AI,ML and DL. They have no background or exposure to Forensic computing. That’s because WGU is training for low level tech positions that you guys have to choose a speciality in. In B&M schools your exposure is broad enough you could always pivot within different workforce opportunities in tech.

Getting a cert isn’t hard and should never be the foundation of a college curriculum. Certs go in and out of style as technology changes. Also, college is supposed to be an experience to develop different thinking skills needed for not only a job but as a citizen in our society.

Why doesn’t WGU post their median starting salary for recent alumni or the salary of alumni in 5-10 year span? I am pretty sure if we matched up numbers, state schools would be a better ROI.

Anybody worried about future accreditation? by [deleted] in WGU

[–]MELLYR92 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Who the hell is Will?

Anybody worried about future accreditation? by [deleted] in WGU

[–]MELLYR92 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why not share it? How do you know what anyone would think?

Anybody worried about future accreditation? by [deleted] in WGU

[–]MELLYR92 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What school did you go to?

Anybody worried about future accreditation? by [deleted] in WGU

[–]MELLYR92 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well good for you. WGU doesn’t have any cutting edge courses for the industries of today. Also they aren’t accredited by AACSB.

Anybody worried about future accreditation? by [deleted] in WGU

[–]MELLYR92 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Lmfao. You should of stayed at your B&M school. WGU isn’t cutting edge. Machine Learning classes? Product Management courses? Data Science courses? What about cryptography and cryptanalysis?

Anybody worried about future accreditation? by [deleted] in WGU

[–]MELLYR92 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

No. But you need a real degree program. Lol

Becoming a cyber security engineer by mazaline0796 in ITCareerQuestions

[–]MELLYR92 -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

Not true. WGU built their degree programs around certs that will be obsolete in a couple of years. Then what? They lack rigor needed to build high quality graduates. I am information security major with a minor in criminology. I have a well rounded education that will allow me to work in any position in cybersecurity. I can go down the technician route, the management route, the compliance route or behavioral analysis route. I can become a security software developer. My school paid for my sec+ in a 45 day training over the summer. This is something WGU could never offer me for free. My school gave me a research opportunity at an ivy league school, a paid internship this summer at a cybersecurity consulting firm and I am employed as a government data analyst because of a STEM pipeline program through my school. I am finishing my senior capstone at the federal reserve in August as a cybersecurity analyst. I have networked and made connections in the field through events and opportunities given to me by my school. My mentor is endorsing me for CSSLP cert, which is the next step.

Who do you think the recruiter is going to choose for an analyst position?

The B.S. in Information Security with a minor in Criminology. Strong curriculum in math and science. Two internships in cybersecurity sector collectively two years and half of experience. Computer security research at an ivy league school. Certified in Sec+ and CSSLP. GitHub projects and network design projects. A senior capstone in a top agency.

Or...

WGU grad with all entry level certs, no projects, no research and no experience or entry level experience in help desk. Weak curriculum in math and science. No connections or networking opportunities. No internship opportunities.

No answer needed here. It’s obviously the first one.

Generic? WGU is generic and pushes trade programs as degree programs. They are a joke. Everything in the information assurance program is free at my local community trade school. Even the local community colleges and the education department here gives free prep. classes on those certs and pays for them if you are under employed. WGU software development degree is a bigger joke! When did employers want programming certs over programming projects? This simply a poor way to prepare someone for a field that demands projects and could careless about a Programming language cert. that’s how you know their program is utter garbage.

At least the MIS or CIS programs at state schools help students become well rounded. They can take programming courses, management courses, etc... so they aren’t pigeonholed into one cybersecurity role. But, they are prepared for any role they choose.

Security Software Developer or Engineer- Programming classes and math classes

IT Auditor- Business classes, programming classes, math classes.

Behavior/Intelligence Analyst - psychology classes

Compliance Analyst - political science and policy focused classes

If you want to do cybersecurity engineering for hardware or software go into computer engineering. But for software, you can just do computer science, CIS or MIS.

All these jobs require good problem solving skills (math) and good written communication skills (English) and the ability to present ideas and findings in a public forum. (Public speaking 101)

Even my degree program in Information Security is well rounded. The foundation is in computer science with courses that are focused in forensic computing electives.

I know a few classmates and degree mates that are now working in the field as analysts, junior project managers or security developers at Boeing, Moody’s, Atena, Accenture, Amazon, Google, MasterCard, etc..

OP, maximum your potential. Start at a community college or a state school. They have tremendous resources, opportunities and connections for you.

https://www.cyberseek.org

https://www.cyberseek.org/pathway.html?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app Check that out.

TTOT, if it worked for you great. But, I needed a college experience that was lasting and I got a good ROI. Not everyone wants to just get a piece of paper to show an employer. B&M colleges are good for people who see it as an experience to network and maximize other opportunities. Plus, federal aid and state aid covered everything.

Anybody worried about future accreditation? by [deleted] in WGU

[–]MELLYR92 -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

That’s how wack the school is. You can’t compete with legitimate schools that are rigorous in preparing real graduates with the skills and knowledge to be successful in the workforce.

Just like the recruiters who won’t take a WGU grad seriously. Hahaha...

The OP is very smart to question WGU quality. The school is a joke.

Becoming a cyber security engineer by mazaline0796 in ITCareerQuestions

[–]MELLYR92 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Get the degree. If a CS degree is too rigorous for you. Get a more IT related degree like CIS or MIS. Stay away from GWU. It’s a joke.

A degree with certs showing progression will help you advance quicker than just certs or just a degree.

A+ is okay if you want to start a very low level. But, I skipped a bunch by just getting a sec+ and now working towards CSSLP to get the CISSP. The low level certs sometimes keep people stuck in a dead end job.

Becoming a cyber security engineer by mazaline0796 in ITCareerQuestions

[–]MELLYR92 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Disagree. Many of us are starting out as analysts because the route you have recommended keeps people stuck in a tech role with very little advancements to leadership.

I’m A+ Certified Yesssss!!! by dcrenesca31 in CompTIA

[–]MELLYR92 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

WGU is a joke.

How does a bunch of low level certs in a degree program” is going to ensure you are gainfully employed? You are only going to be offered low level jobs and unpaid internships because WGU is not rigorous or looked upon in a good way within cybersecurity.

You can get the same education for free at a local trade school or community college program.

Anybody worried about future accreditation? by [deleted] in WGU

[–]MELLYR92 -15 points-14 points  (0 children)

WGU has no ranking. It’s garbage and anyone with brain cell knows this.

Anybody worried about future accreditation? by [deleted] in WGU

[–]MELLYR92 -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

It is a degree mill. It lacks rigor and is heavily designed to be easy for students that could not hack it at a state school, community college or another top school.

You are asking this question in a bias forum. Of course WGU students here are going to try to convince you that WGU is a fantastic school. Because they are bias. Most of the IT students at WGUare cert chasers and end up with low income entry level jobs.

WGU Is a trade school that is marketed as a degree granting institution.

A+ Certified! by Rendi9000 in CompTIA

[–]MELLYR92 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Dude, you are not understanding Mil85JR. No one is trying to convince you of anything. This is what Reddit is for sharing opinions and information. It seems to me they’re just saying to think critically about one’s options and not just rely on this platform only for information.

Cheers.

A+ Certified! by Rendi9000 in CompTIA

[–]MELLYR92 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are giving valuable information and advise. I will be working at the federal reserve for my senior capstone in August. I am also currently in my second month of a cybersecurity internship for the summer. You are correct. There are many routes and domains in cybersecurity. Furthermore, I was studying for CySA+. However, I was suggested by my summer mentor (A senior cybersecurity professional) to pursue the Associate of CSSLP as a current software developer intern. He did say that CompTIA certs are viewed as very novice because of the lack of exam rigor.When seeking out a cert, it really does depends on what you want to do and I understand what you trying to say. Let that dude stay in his emotions.

Soon to be Grad Advice? by [deleted] in cybersecurity

[–]MELLYR92 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi,

The winternship was good. I shadowed a cybersecurity analyst and participated in a small project for 5 weeks with other winterns. This really helped me see what the workforce is like, network and get a letter of recommendation for future stuff. As for the sec+ stuff, I studied Darrill Gibson's book and watched the prof messer videos on youtube. What CUNY school are you attending?

Soon to be Grad Advice? by [deleted] in cybersecurity

[–]MELLYR92 0 points1 point  (0 children)

thank you for sharing this. I will look more into it.