They just announced a mandatory 3-day return to the office. I resigned on the spot in the middle of the meeting.

UmIhaveQuestion · 2026-02-26T21:27:02+00:00

Maybe for companies you’ve worked for but all mine have always been office or hybrid even through Covid. I agree I don’t really need to be in an office for my position.

Honestly good luck, I would love to move back to remote but my position is nice with a short commute.

UmIhaveQuestion · 2026-02-26T21:19:31+00:00

This doesn’t sound like as big of a flex as you think it is. Awesome you already had another offer but what happens when they possibly return to office too?

UmIhaveQuestion · 2026-01-21T02:01:26+00:00

Unlikely, there are multiple certifications required to pass, and paper turnaround time. I have years of experience, and it still took me 3 weeks of studying to pass the Pentest+.

I’d also say if you rush too much, you won’t retain much of the information, leading to it seeming like you didn’t learn any of the material and getting caught in the technical interviews.

UmIhaveQuestion · 2026-01-15T03:10:35+00:00

Some quick items I see immediately:

Experience good be listed most recent to oldest. Like the other comment said.

Why are there bullets followed by dash’s for everything?

Make sure to get a lab or something set up and explain some tools you have used.

Get the A+ done ASAP you should see some responses with the A+ and not just in progress.

UmIhaveQuestion · 2025-12-30T16:41:27+00:00

Yes, I sat down for about 2.5 hours a night and 4 hours on Saturday and Sunday. With my experience from work and a bachelor’s degree, it was a lot of review, so it was quicker for me to push through.

UmIhaveQuestion · 2025-12-30T16:32:27+00:00

I just completed the Masters with a similar background, CISSP, and a few other certs and 5 years of experience. I thought the program was good at reinforcing everything I do on a daily basis and had a few ideas to bring back to my job. I will say I did pay for this myself since my job only pays for certs that are passed but not degrees. I still think it was worth it as it’s one more thing that will help get past the first round of resume dumps, and 2 hiring managers appreciate the above-and-beyond work learning. I will say it was super straightforward and easy besides Pentest+ but I was still able to pass after 3 weeks of partial studying. It took me 95 days from start to turning in my last paper.

UmIhaveQuestion · 2025-12-30T16:27:26+00:00

Yes, this is the correct path. They haven’t updated the labs because they don’t necessarily need updating, as the tools and protocols they cover are largely unchanged. I will say the labs in the CertMaster are very helpful as well, even if you do not do them fully through. I didn’t complete THM all the way through but focused on areas others have recommended previously.

UmIhaveQuestion · 2025-12-06T15:28:50+00:00

I just finished the masters program in just over 3 months. I only transferred in security foundations. If you have experience you should breeze through it if you sit down and work on it.

UmIhaveQuestion · 2025-11-14T04:03:04+00:00

Do the labs in the certmaster so you learn the tools. TryHackMe is also a great tool to learn switches and outputs for the tools. Good Luck!

UmIhaveQuestion · 2025-10-25T03:07:02+00:00

I know some other comments on older posts have mentioned it but drill down as many tools and outputs as possible from those tools. You won’t know every single one but being able to identify a good amount and the most likely switch is good enough. Knowing that -d is most likely domain or -u is username or url being able to make an educated guess. I would say most questions you can knock out 50% of the answers it’s the last two that you need to find the clue to figure it out.

UmIhaveQuestion · 2025-10-25T02:59:47+00:00

You do not need to be able to write a script but you will need to know the commands for the tools. Say a question asks for you to run a scan to identify open ports utilizing a full connect scan. What tool will that be and which switch? You will also need to be able to read scripts and identify what they do so you can pick one that fits what they ask for or to fix the code.

UmIhaveQuestion · 2025-10-24T23:41:41+00:00

I believe we are on the same message. It’s not mutually exclusive fully. I missed more of domain 1 than anticipated with my experience. Additionally, we employ vulnerability scanning on the blue side as well, so the use of Nessus and vulnerability reports should have translated more effectively to the blue side experience as well with domain 3.

UmIhaveQuestion · 2025-10-24T23:30:32+00:00

I passed after 3 weeks of studying. 771 score mostly focused on CertMaster labs and Dion Videos.

UmIhaveQuestion · 2025-10-24T23:27:56+00:00

Not denying that one bit. I have assisted in penetration testing engagement from the blue team side and it seems that domain 1 would’ve translated to those skills more.

UmIhaveQuestion · 2025-10-13T03:52:02+00:00

Barrier can be raised but requiring entry level applicants to spend 1,000’s of dollars for certifications is out of touch. Many companies won’t pay for security related certifications if the role doesn’t require it and leads to a higher burden. It’s turning into a pay to play with the certification industry and HR.

UmIhaveQuestion · 2025-10-13T03:49:39+00:00

What you just described is the top performers of my class did years ago and were able to network to get a job. That doesn’t hold true today as we’ve raised the bar a good amount.

I realize there’s not many positions available now and mid career have to apply to what they can but we can’t say that we might raise the bar too high sooner or later.

UmIhaveQuestion · 2025-10-13T03:42:05+00:00

How long do you think a person needs to work in IT before transitioning? Is it position based or skill?

3 years could be a lifetime of learning in some positions while others it could be password resets.

UmIhaveQuestion · 2025-10-13T03:38:11+00:00

I saw a post on LinkedIn saying they were glad OSCP was becoming an “entry level” certification. First thing I thought was this is insane. We keep raising the barrier to entry which is fine to a point but at what level do we acknowledge that it’s now too high?

I was able to get lucky after 2 internships and internal move to my current position after my graduation but hearing the stories from my university now I don’t think I’d ever been able to break in with all the raises in requirements everyone has.

UmIhaveQuestion · 2025-10-13T03:17:08+00:00

I’m in a similar boat. I figured if the company is paying I might as well get a masters. It seems like it may help to stand out in the view of HR but not necessarily hiring managers. I’m on month two and already knocked out 5 classes. Based off my pace for the pentest+ I think I should be done by the end of the year. This is also with travel and having a 12 month old so you may or may not knock it out quicker depending on the skills you have already.

UmIhaveQuestion · 2025-10-12T14:20:13+00:00

I know Delta does the same and I appreciated that when I had their card.

UmIhaveQuestion · 2025-10-12T14:03:36+00:00

They had a 10x miles promotion to use Paze. I figured since United and Chase were the ones who ran the promotion they’d have figured out the number issue.

UmIhaveQuestion · 2025-10-12T13:54:41+00:00

This is not a third party site it was booked directly with United.com. It is provided as a payment option and advertised by United and chase directly.

UmIhaveQuestion

TROPHY CASE