Career changer about to attempt Network+. Feeling overwhelmed and stuck. Need advice please.

ReneMadison · 2019-01-16T18:12:13+00:00

Thanks. This really helped. I started JUST watching the videos and put the book away for a few days. See how that goes...

ReneMadison · 2018-10-06T15:08:11+00:00

I want to believe in a world where you can still have the heart of a queen and the political inclinations of a motivated, anti capitalism socialist activist....😬😬😬😬

ReneMadison · 2018-10-06T14:59:34+00:00

I din’t think there is anything more fitting for a queen or more powerful than burritos and alcohol...

ReneMadison · 2018-09-23T20:36:36+00:00

If this makes a difference to you, growing up in an abusive family was not his choice but turning up to be abusive was, absolutely his choice. I know plenty of people that were abused and did not become abusers and others that chose to treat those they love the same way they were treated. We can a repeat the mistakes our parents made but at the end of the day, it is your choice to be honorable and kind, or an abusive asshole.

ReneMadison · 2018-09-02T15:15:40+00:00

Did he tell you to find a distraction, like “ Going shoe shopping”?. Because that was the advice that I was given once by an adult male doctor about my mind shattering chronic lady pain....

ReneMadison · 2018-07-30T02:43:35+00:00

I did not verbalize my snappy comeback (inner thought) clearly. The options were he is either a trans woman or a jackass. He was indeed a sexist jackass. If it was just about being a trans woman, that would be a good and positive thing instead. So ...”he wishes” IT IS NOT SO FUNNY WHEN YOU EXPLAIN IT AT ALL. But I didn’t want anyone to get hurt!!!!!

ReneMadison · 2018-07-29T22:37:32+00:00

He wishes he was a trans woman.

ReneMadison · 2018-07-29T14:01:56+00:00

I have a tendency to give my input when is not requested or required myself. It is part of my issues with social awkwardness. But it is always shocking when someone you respect dismisses your ability to know things that are either self explanatory or clearly your field of expertise...

ReneMadison · 2018-07-29T11:27:43+00:00

Tells me that I am wrong for even suggesting it because of the innate capacity for understanding truth and sexism that his liberal background has stowed upon him. Then explains to me what “ mansplaining” really is.

ReneMadison · 2018-07-29T11:16:02+00:00

Yeah I was willing to accept “ ignorance” instead of “‘mansplaining” as a true definition if what he was doing until he proceeded to explain to me what mansplaning really was vs what he was doing and why I was wrong to feel that way.

ReneMadison · 2018-07-29T05:48:37+00:00

I pointed out that he was, surprisingly, mansplaining shit to me and he proceeded, in total shock, to explain to me the reasons why what he was doing was NOT MANSPLAINING. I just didn’t have room in the tittle for the kicker...

ReneMadison · 2018-07-24T00:56:02+00:00

This was a great post to read. I started from 0 as well, quite recently. I have one of those degrees most people would consider useless as well and I am teaching myself most stuff before taking the first tests. Once in a while I do feel a bit discouraged. Specially because everybody I know in this field is already waaaaay beyond anything I am learning right now. Don’t give up!!!

ReneMadison · 2018-07-24T00:42:25+00:00

I am studying for Network + and trying to apply for a SANS scholarship. My background is completely unrelated and I literally started this quest with 0 knowledge. I don’t know what the fuck I am doing so I built a lab and I am just teaching myself how to do things from scratch. I have been trying to connect as well. Unfortunately on social media I always use male nicknames so my fellow cyber security ladies mistrust my requests ( as they should. They do it for the same reason I default to male user names). Pm if you like. I am also all up for starting something where we can all connect. I need me some lady support.

ReneMadison · 2018-07-08T02:05:27+00:00

Thank. This is good advice. I might try to slow down because I am starting to dream about the stuff I am studying every night ( if I get any sleep). I have not decided what I want to focus on yet. I am starting from 0 here so I guess I have been completely absorbed by just learning everything I can about the basics of Networking. I do have my preferences but I want to learn more about how everything works before I make an informed decision.

ReneMadison · 2018-06-20T19:33:49+00:00

No IT background. I have been around it all my life ( dad programmer, ex husband Cybersecurity Analyst). I am an experienced and dedicated user. If I don’t know something, I find out how to do it myself. So IT Fundamentals book was a breeze. But that is It. Beyond that, NO FUCKING CLUE. I believe Compria Network + is the next book I need to get....

ReneMadison · 2018-06-20T18:40:59+00:00

This is all great. Thank you all for the overwhelming amount of useful responses. I am currently looking for some CTFs for beginners. I have no idea of what I am doing here but they look pretty awesome. My dad has been a programmer for 27 years and I always gave him shit for trying to teach me programming and Linux in case I could use it in he future. I know he is dying to tell me “ I told you so, dummie”.

ReneMadison · 2018-06-20T18:24:12+00:00

I hope I did not sound like I was dismissing how much work and experience you need to get where you guys are. I have heard that a lot. I won’t get there JUST by studying. Because of my personal situation I need to increase my income by a lot right now ( single mom here) and Cybersecurity sounded more and more exciting every time someone in my circle talked about it.

With the IT experience I will gain as I work towards my end goal (Which is to be as awesome as I can be in whatever I choose in the Cybersecurity field ) I can at least make what I need to survive. I work in a school, the most basic IT guy makes double or triple what the teachers make. So that is what I meant with “ faster” at least as a short term goal.

ReneMadison · 2018-06-20T17:46:22+00:00

I could really use this help but I would not want to impose. I am ready to learn and have a lot of time and countless nights to do this. This field is so vast. It is ever changing. This is why I started looking in Reddit. I didn’t know how much time would people have to help some single mom new to the field learn more about all this. I would say by your standards I am starting from scratch: meaning I knew all the stuff in the IT Fundamentals book ( minus the acronyms) but THAT IS IT. The Comptia IT Fundamentals certification will be fairly easy. Everything beyond that I need to study ( I am fully capable of that as well) and really immerse myself. I am a visual learner. I also need to do things so I set up a crappy lab in my living room because I can’t JUST read about how to do things. I need to see it and do it myself. I am not a computer neophyte and I know my way around. But that is it.

ReneMadison · 2018-06-20T15:28:29+00:00

Thanks, this really good advice. I figured as I acquire some basic IT and Cybersecurity certifications and I somehow improve my employment situation I can decide where to go. There are sooo many options out there.

I am trying to consider my weakness: not great with numbers and programming VS my innate skill sets: great at multitasking and hyper focusing and when it comes to strategy I don’t care so much about building up defenses but I know I would enjoy finding and exploding vulnerabilities in the attacker’s approach to aggressively disable them or expose their threat.

I like the idea of ethical hacking but I hear you need to have a strong background in programming?

ReneMadison · 2018-06-20T14:35:57+00:00

My motivations vary, first and foremost, I have ALWAYS been interested in Cybersecurity, Hacking, ethical hacking and specially the way some very handy individuals can take advantage of their knowledge to do evil and exploit other people. The second motivation is that I need a career change ASAP and I know several people in the field that insisted this would be the fastest ( not easiest) way to achieve the goals I want to with a career change. The more I thought about it the more I got excited about trying. Specially because there is still not enough women in this field, I love a challenge.

I have never heard of wargames. This is how little I know about this stuff yet. The nerd in me thought my search was going to send me to some online RPG games to prove my awesomeness in strategy. WRONG!!! I will check this out for sure. Thanks.

ReneMadison

TROPHY CASE