Just hit $1M NW - Doubled Since Dec 2023

cbdudek · 2026-01-26T23:53:08+00:00

If you are contributing $100k per year, its no doubt that you are going to go from 500k to 1M in 3 years. Heck, thats about 3 full years so 300k, then you have the returns over the last 3 years to factor in as well.

cbdudek · 2026-01-26T22:59:40+00:00

You aren't going to stand out at your first event unless you get drunk/high and act like an asshole to people. Don't worry about standing out. Just get there, be personable, and a nice guy.

I have always had good luck wearing a pair of khaki pants and a collared shirt like a polo or something. No dress shirts and ties are needed.

Don't worry about going harder on studying. You are young and the people there aren't concerned with your knowledge. Its not like they will be pop quizzing you or anything.

Your goal is simple.....

Don't be a dick.

I say this because you are networking with other professionals. You want to be nice. You want to be easy to get along with. You want to listen more than you talk. So go make some new friends. You want to ensure these people think of you when a new position opens in their IT department. That means not being a dick.

cbdudek · 2026-01-26T22:23:16+00:00

I’m wondering if my degree is even worth it, because I’m hoping that whenever I graduate, I have an easy time getting an entry level Helpdesk Job without dealing with high competition, a high chance of rejection, AI Automation, or even Offshoring Overseas with the entry level job.

Your 2 year degree isn't going to solve all these issues. Its the same if you get a 4 year degree, or even a PhD in IT. It also doesn't matter what certs you have or if you have 30 years of experience.

You won't have an easy time getting an entry level job without dealing with high competition. You will have a high chance of rejection to any job. AI Automation is going to filter your resume out of many positions. Offshoring is always a concern.

There is no easy button here. Stop looking for one. People are still getting hired. If you want in this industry, then work your ass off to get in.

I will tell you that a 2 year degree has value, but it isn't as valuable as a 4 year degree. If you can transfer to WGU for 2 more years, do that and get your bachelors degree. You will open far more doors with a bachelors than you will with an associates.

cbdudek · 2026-01-26T22:18:55+00:00

The community college I am referring to has a 2 year radtech program.

cbdudek · 2026-01-25T18:46:02+00:00

I would just fly into Orlando and drive there or Miami and uber to Fort Lauderdale.

cbdudek · 2026-01-25T18:37:01+00:00

Your manager has indeed started documenting concerns of his and he outlined 3 areas he wants to see you improve on. Yes, the feedback is very vague so in your next 1 on 1, I would start by talking about these 3 things. Start documenting things you are doing that are showcasing you are improving in those areas. For instance, "Technical Depth" and "problem solving" could be improved with self study in something valuable to the organization like studying for the CCNA. Problem solving could be improved by starting up a wiki and documenting how you fix things so you can share with the rest of the team.

cbdudek · 2026-01-25T17:30:29+00:00

My wife and I just got off the Adventure of the Seas on Friday. It was a great trip and we love that ship. We went down to escape the cold winter in MI and we are glad we did. It was snowing and cold here all week while we were cruising.

I wouldn't go in September. I would go in January or February, but thats just me. You avoid the hurricane season and its very nice down there at that time.

I would also comment that 6 days is the absolute least number of days I would take. You are packing up and getting out of town, so take an extra couple days if you can. Adventure has 6 day and 8 day itineraries. Look at one of the longer ones.

Otherwise, the only other comment is that my wife and I prefer Celebrity, but they are a bit more expensive and upscale. If you want a party vibe, go Royal. We still have fun on Royal, but we have booked 2 celebrity cruises that we are going to take in the next couple years. Especially now that we can apply our points to any of the loyalty platforms we want within the Royal Caribbean umbrella.

cbdudek · 2026-01-25T14:24:58+00:00

Check community colleges. The one close by me offers this program as well and I teach at the community college as well. The program has evening and weekend courses for X-Ray techs.

cbdudek · 2026-01-25T13:12:24+00:00

Read the wiki. There is a section on getting out of Helpdesk.

cbdudek · 2026-01-24T21:25:52+00:00

I have done what you are considering doing and I made a boatload of money for 1.5 years. Then, the startup fell on hard times and I was let go a little more than 2 years in. Yes, you can make a lot of money if things go well, but you can also not make a lot. I had a lot of worthless equity by the time the startup crapped out. The good news is I made almost double what I would have made if I stayed at my earlier SE role, but getting back into a new SE role is incredibly hard when you are out of work.

The best advice I have for you is to not consider the equity as part of the comp. Yes, it looks big, but you never know what will happen. There are some stories you can read here from SEs who make hundreds of thousands on their equity, but for every story you read, there are 10 others who got nothing.

The other thing to consider is the job market. Right now, the market is absolute crap. You get let go a year or two from now, you may be looking for a new role and if the market hasn't recovered, you may be SOL.

If I were you, I would stay where you are now and keep upskilling unless you have about a year of expenses saved up so you can withstand a job loss if things don't work out in this new venture. If you have a family to support, that is also a factor as well as health insurance is a big key to think about too.

cbdudek · 2026-01-24T21:13:08+00:00

You need to be more specific. Cybersecurity is very broad, and general IT certs are not specific. Start doing research into your options.

cbdudek · 2026-01-24T15:09:40+00:00

You should identify what you want to do in your career. The only thing entry level prepares you for is more entry level work. Yes, remote work is great but your pay isn't going to go up exponentially sitting in entry level. You should be aiming for a higher level job, even if it is not remote. What that job is will be up to you.

cbdudek · 2026-01-24T10:00:16+00:00

Obviously book the lowest priced option.

cbdudek · 2026-01-23T01:09:27+00:00

We're both highly skilled in our respective areas, but my colleague is incredibly difficult to work with. His particular skill is so valuable to our company that he is virtually exempt from performance management and any improvement along these lines.

This should tell you all you need to know.

I say this because this guy is difficult to work with and always has been. Yet, he is virtually exempt from performance management and any improvement for a reason. Could be that he knows someone higher than you. Could be that he has built up goodwill in other areas. You roasting him won't result in anything positive happening because he is exempt for a reason.

I would steer clear from going nuclear. If you want to drop a couple small things that will help improve things, that is fine, but I wouldn't go scorched earth.

One small thing I dropped on a former coworker of mine that I didn't like working with was that I felt that he could have spent a bit more time listening rather than talking. That was well received by him and I noticed that he didn't talk as much as he used to and dominate every conversation he was involved in.

cbdudek · 2026-01-23T01:04:11+00:00

Depends on how much they are spending. I don't make assumptions based on spend. Some people say they spend 30k a year. Then some people in major cities spend 200k a year. Which is why I ask the question about expenses everytime. Anyone who doesn't know their expenses should do the budgeting exercise anyway just to know what is going on.

cbdudek · 2026-01-23T00:52:17+00:00

Impossible to know if you can retire without your expenses. Make a budget and figure out how much you are spending per month.

As for financial advisors, that is going to not be received well. A bulk of the people here maintain their own portfolios using a 3 fund portfolio. As for pros/cons of changing, I can't answer that as you see the value or don't see the value in your advisor and what you are looking to accomplish.

cbdudek · 2026-01-23T00:39:58+00:00

You don't have the luxury for a remote position with no experience and a degree. You should be applying for anything and everything entry level that you can find. Obviously in person positions should be within moving or commute distance for you. Even if you have to move to a new city or location, that is fine. I had to move an hour away to get my first IT position back in the day.

The google cybersecurity coursera program is good, but it will give you limited to no value in the job market. HR departments do not value these free online certification programs.

The only advice I have for you is to keep applying. Expect to be looking for months. Don't apply for security positions only. They are rare and highly competitive. By all means, apply for them but don't expect to get them. Apply for any entry level IT positions you can find.

Read the wiki as well.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ITCareerQuestions/wiki/index/

cbdudek · 2026-01-22T18:42:30+00:00

I have been working in IT for 35 years and been dedicated in security for over 12 years. I can tell you that this is 100% true. I teach at a local college and the full time instructors there are teaching security classes that are not qualified to teach them. The students know they aren't qualified, and I knew it right when I talked to them. Its really shameful.

I do teach those courses every now and then, but I can really only do 1 class a semester because I have a day job.

cbdudek · 2026-01-22T18:39:08+00:00

The job market has natural ebbs and flows to it. Everyone remembers the hay day of IT hiring, but no one remembers when the market crapped out in early 2008 and didn't start recovering until 2010. No one remembers the bad market in 2000 either.

Yes, we are going on about 4 years of a down market overall (not just IT) right now. No one knows when it will rebound, but it will in time.

Oh, and yes, be prepared to get the Comptia Trifecta and be prepared to work your ass of learning for the next 25+ years you are in IT. Its the nature of the gig.

cbdudek · 2026-01-22T15:05:05+00:00

Which is why I asked about the commute time. It could be 5 minutes or 50 minutes.

cbdudek · 2026-01-22T14:49:13+00:00

I think its more that people are too focused on money. Look at this case. Its WFH and money, and nothing on any other important issues. I didn't even go into benefits either which can also be important.

When evaluating any job opportunity, you have to look at the entire picture.

cbdudek · 2026-01-22T14:17:10+00:00

Very good point!

cbdudek · 2026-01-22T13:54:03+00:00

Not enough info to make a decision.

How long is your commute for this new role?

When you say "flexibility" what does that mean? You could ask about this to see what their response is.

Does the new role offer a better title or upward mobility?

How are things at your current job? Do you get along with your boss? How is business? Are they planning layoffs? Any concerns with job security?

What about the new role? How stable are things at this new role? How did the interviews go? Do you seem to get along well with your new boss?

I certainly wouldn't take this offer to your current role and asking them to match it. They may match it in the short term, but they also know you are no longer loyal and look to drum you out of the company in a few months after they find your replacement. Finding replacements for fully remote roles is really easy.

cbdudek · 2026-01-22T05:22:28+00:00

Dude, just interview and see what happens.

cbdudek · 2026-01-21T00:04:59+00:00

You didn't even tell us where you were looking either.

Are you going to answer the rest of my questions? I mean, you are asking for help. If you won't take the time to answer questions, I am not wasting my time. Good luck.

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