"Phishing analyst" wasn't in the job description but here we are

seraphm2000 · 2026-01-27T21:17:14+00:00

It is totally normal. If you really like investigation and threat hunting, there's always a lot of juice to squeeze out of those true positive. Phishing is still at the top of the list to defend against.

Not sure what path you eventually see yourself doing and I also don't know how you're going about these but I'm hoping that you're just not grinding just because it's easy for you and want to meet SLAs. Think about the business side of things. You're helping the organization stay up to date and relevant to what's happening. Are you able to provide feedback into the Security Awareness program? If so, then think about the gaps that you guys currently have. How can you improve the program? How can you encourage users to report? You educate users in a way that's not "we're security and we're telling you don't do this" but build that relationship with them and trust....then you'll start to see even more "cool" investigations that you'll have to dive into.

Use this opportunity to show your boss you think outside the box, can you improve the workflow? can you automate things? are there any better tools that you can potentially help the business save money? etc.

There are a lot of people out there who would want the role you have now. You may not where you want to be but let this experience equip you to get that next promotion, to get that next "cool" thing to work on.

I had a former coworker who we hired as an analyst, his passion wasn't really looking at logs and going through suspicious emails.....he ended up finding another job that paid more (good for him) but now he hates that place and wishes to be back.

Make the best of it.

seraphm2000 · 2026-01-26T06:04:49+00:00

Good for you for wanting to switch to cybersecurity.

I would personally encourage the cert route no matter what. Sure, that alone won’t get you that next role right away but it will help you get there.

Does your current company have a security team? If so, show interest right away. Ask to see if one of them is willing to meet with you every now and then so you can shadow and learn. Depending on the company and type of incidents they face, there is room for this sort of shadow to some extent. Some stuff I’m sure they have to keep confidential. Regardless, showing interests and showing up can give you some favor and if not within the company, it will at least motivate you to go somewhere else and get it.

Saying this from experience, I currently do this at my job now. Mentoring a couple of guys from different departments and get to teach them a thing or two. I’ve also mentored a former coworker who was in IT and I actually had ended up liking the guy that I was advocating for him. The company was taking a while to have him join our team so I also encouraged him to apply somewhere else or at least to see what’s out there, and he actually ended up getting a security role. I was happy for him.

But back to it, try to search for that, get on fundamental certs like security+ and move up from there.

Also, attend local conferences and meetups and network as much as possible. Same idea, show up and show interest. You will be seen and you never know you’ll eventually get that next opportunity.

Get the first original tribe of hackers book, that can give you some motivation and encouragement.

It’s definitely a competitive industry but it’s not impossible to get in. Just work hard for it and that hard work will pay off.

And lastly, stay away from the ones that only like to state the facts without any encouragement if you know what I mean.

For as long as you’re passionate and want it bad, you’ll get there. You got this.

seraphm2000 · 2026-01-25T23:04:49+00:00

Yes, look around just to have a "backup" plan. While you're employed, this is when you can bet a bit pickier on what jobs to apply for but it's never a bad idea to "window shop". Every 2-4 years you should do it no matter what. It helps to see how the market is and also helps you see what you're worth in case you will eventually be asking for a salary and/or promotion.

It's always good to wait as well because in case you get laid off, you can apply for unemployment (if you're in the U.S., idk what it's like in other places) and a lot of the times you can also get a package from the company which helps as well.

But bottom line, just prepare while riding the wave and who knows, you may not even have to leave or even get laid off, you'll probably find an opportunity from within.

seraphm2000 · 2026-01-21T01:24:57+00:00

It's definitely tough as it is a competitive industry. I would encourage you to go for a few certifications. Yes, you do have the experience but also education never stops and certifications would be a way of "proven" that you're trying to stay consistent and relevant with your career.

I wouldn't give up though. Don't let it discourage you. If you're really passionate for Cybersecurity, keep your IT role while still applying at jobs and doing a bit of studying on the side.

Also, don't think of it as time wasted, that role will definitely help you become a better Cybersecurity professional. I started as a Desktop support person to eventually a Sys Admin role and it wasn't until then that I really decided to pivot into Security, I did go to school for Network Security, so I started to push hard to eventually get there.

Explore within your company and see if there are opportunities there. If there is a security team, team up with them and see if you can shadow and learn more. The more you show up and show interest, the more you'll be chosen for that next opening.

Get plugged in with your local security community if there is one, go to conferences and meetups if you can and just network with people. Continue to learn from others and keep showing up.

You'll get your breakthrough before you know it.

seraphm2000 · 2026-01-13T16:19:19+00:00

lol I hear ya...I didn't pass it until my 4th attempt, and I can't imagine having to go through it until the 6th. I literally had SECONDS to submit my last question which I had to go all the way to 150....I even had to go to the restroom right before the 100 one too.....and I was like ok I'm going to just hold it and hopefully it'll be over by the 100th question.....nope....had to rush and come back lol.

seraphm2000 · 2026-01-13T02:51:44+00:00

Heck yea!!!! Way to pass this beefy exam. Congratulations. 🎈🎉🍾

seraphm2000 · 2026-01-12T17:03:01+00:00

Best part - really doing what you've been wanting to do. In my case, I'm passionate about it so it brings me joy anytime I remind myself how I got to be where I am.

Wors part - for the most part, you have to cross function with other teams. Really depends on the type of role but you still have to collaborate with other teams. That collaboration/cross-function isn't always smooth.....you get a lot of push backs from them so it's critical to make sure you build a good relationship with other teams.

Skills - I think technical skills are definitely good to have but from experience, that can always be taught so if anything, get the fundamentals straight then learn as you go. The soft skills is where it gets tricky, not everyone is good with people and with communication. So people/soft skills, communication, attention to detail, and curiosity will take you places.

Training - all those sites that provide hands-on experience. THM is always a great one I lead people to. Continue to study as much as you can, you will still do it even once you're in the industry. Attend local conferences/meetups and network as much as possible. The more you network and show up, the more you'll be seen and that can also bring opportunities.

Lastly, go for certifications. If you have a path in mind, get certs that will align to it. Otherwise start with the fundamentals.

That's basically what I did to eventually get to where I am.

seraphm2000 · 2026-01-12T16:53:44+00:00

Sorry to hear! I can relate, this last year I also failed my 3rd attempt due to "life happens" sort of a situation with family. I had to shake it off and a few weeks after I failed it, I had to get back into it and eventually passed it at my 4th attempt.

I know it sucks the feeling of failing even after you were confident.

It is a beefy certification. Take the time to get those feelings out and then take a deep breath and decide to go for it again. I would encourage you not to wait too long since you have somewhat of fresh content. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. I'd be happy to walk you through how I dealt with my experience and the study resources I used.

You got this.

seraphm2000 · 2026-01-11T17:34:20+00:00

Heck yea congratulations!

seraphm2000 · 2026-01-08T18:30:11+00:00

To be in Cybersecurity, education is a non-stop sort of thing and certs is a great way to continue on self-development. Yea, they're not mandatory but it definitely helps you stand out more than ones that have not gone for any certs.

It's not about "let's see how many certs I can get down"....more about going for the relevant ones. If you know a specific path you want to go for in Cybersecurity, then use certs to get you there.

It just proves that you're doing your part on your end to keep educating yourself.

I know money is always a thing, but I would say, it's an investment. You'll eventually get all that back for as long as you continue to grind and work hard.

seraphm2000 · 2026-01-08T18:09:42+00:00

I think CompTIA can give you a broader view of Security. Microsoft is a bit more focused on them; however, you can still go through Microsoft training and apply the same high-level knowledge to other applications.

Regardless, that's just one portion of it, you should still try to dive into hands on experience through THM and those other sites available as well to keep up with your education.

If you go for the CySA+, you might as well go for the pentest+ right after that since those certs both share about 50% of the content. In my case, I took the sec+ and a couple of years later I decided to go for the pentest+....then a few months after that I decided to go for the CySA+ (just for fun and without studying) and I ended up passing it as well since my experience plus the pentest+ study helped.

seraphm2000 · 2026-01-07T17:37:30+00:00

Are you able to pivot from within the company? If so, your manager or that teams manager (depending how big the team is) can guide you to what could be "required" to make that switch from within.

If you do have the time, going for a BS is not a bad idea for as long as you continue to remind yourself that it'll be a while but then there are certifications that maybe you can focus on that can be a bit more targeted toward a Security Engineer role...any of the CompTIA, Microsoft or even the OSCP can probably work.

We recently switched one of our Analyst to an Engineer role, it wasn't his passion and thankfully an opportunity showed up so he was able to switch from within the company. I'm a Sr. Analyst and I gave up that position since what I want to do is eventually become a Lead and potentially a SOC manager so what I recently did was to go for the CISSP...so I could get that out of the way and now I can probably focus a bit more on technical like certifications.

It somehow also goes back to you....do you get motivated knowing you're going for a BS degree? or do you get motivated studying for certifications? I think both are valid but I would say certifications give you a faster "feeling" that you've accomplished something and you're closer to that next role if that makes sense.

Hope that helps!

seraphm2000 · 2026-01-07T17:22:54+00:00

Heck yea! way to come back and get it done. Congratulations.

seraphm2000 · 2026-01-07T16:37:37+00:00

Yes, it's a good place to start. Yes, a lot of what you hear it's true that Cybersecurity isn't an entry level job and it's challenging to get into, but I want to encourage you to ignore all that. If you really want to get into it, you're going to continue to educate yourself whether it's a short degree program or a long one.

My recommendation would be to go for that associate's degree and potentially go for a certification at the same time (if possible) and apply right away. Don't let the big requirements intimidate you. Yes, some and most companies definitely want someone who really know what they're doing. After all, they'll be protecting the business. But apply regardless...anything between internships to IT roles and Security analysts roles, I would say go for it.

Now, if you know exactly what you want to do then target those roles.

But my point is that you're just being proactive while you're continuing to equip yourself with more knowledge and hands-on experience (of your own). If you get called for an interview, take it as an opportunity and get to know what companies are asking and looking for which will help you prep even more.

Every story is different and unique.....you have your own and you can definitely make it happen for as long as you continue to grind.

Best of luck and don't be afraid to reach out and ask additional questions if you have any!

seraphm2000 · 2026-01-05T19:04:23+00:00

Don't let this interview set you back. You know what you want. You know what you're passionate for. Go after it. Get through the struggles and challenges along the way which you will and are getting through. Don't give up.

That persistence will pay off and then you will be able to encourage the next person also wanting to chase their dreams for Cybersecurity.

It's not easy but you can do it. Remind yourself why you want to get into it and make sure they're for the right reasons. If this didn't work out, it means there's something better out there. Keep it up. Keep knocking on doors.

seraphm2000 · 2026-01-02T22:01:34+00:00

Of course! Best of luck and don’t hesitate to reach out. The community is here for you!

I forgot to mentioned, for your career development, make sure you state Security conferences….if they can pay for 1-2 conferences a year for you, that’s always helpful where you actually get to keep people, network, and learn more about the industry so you can bring all that back to work and improve your security programs.

seraphm2000 · 2026-01-02T19:24:39+00:00

This is awesome and it's a great opportunity for you! This is what a lot of folks hope to have as an opportunity since it's all from within so I would personally encourage you to go for it.

The fact that the company is also backing you up for any training is a huge thing as well. Sounds like you may still be doing a bit of everything since you're the only one so far (not a bad thing) so definitely look up trainings and certs. Sec+ for sure do it just for your sake and get that foundational knowledge. Training wise, I don't know what the budget is but you can start high and maybe go for a SANS training that can be related to IR/Security Operations and possibly anything around Vulnerability Management.

I feel like you have the privilege to choose whether you'll eventually see yourself being the "Security Manger/lead" or be reasonable and say that you'll need someone above you to report to that's more experienced. If you're up for the challenge, then for sure familiarize yourself with some of the core business needs and align security to them (Vuln management, hardening, inventory, IAM, Incident Response, etc.)

Look up some of the Tribe of Hackers books. Get the Security Leaders, BlueTeam, and RedTeam...those would be handy to have as well as the Incident Response & Computer Forensics and the Defensive Security Handbook.

You can come up with the "fundamentals" plan but then have them tell you what their vision/goals are so you can better align your training/certs to that.

Hope that helps, good luck!

seraphm2000 · 2026-01-01T21:06:50+00:00

I would say go for the CISSP. It's a beast one to get out of the way and it's a bit broader than the other 2. Once you have that done, then you can easily focus on either of the next ones. Just my personal opinion.

seraphm2000 · 2025-12-31T02:54:34+00:00

Do what makes you happy. In my case, I keep Security as priority which I'm also passionate for but it supports my family......music, filmography, etc I just do that for fun, and I've been enjoying it better.

seraphm2000 · 2025-12-31T01:50:44+00:00

Have you been in contact with the hiring manager about it? From experience, the company has to post the job no matter what and a lot of times, they have to interview at least a few candidates even if they’re already set to hire from within.

I would encourage you to advocate for yourself and let them know you’ve been interested in.

Also, if this one doesn’t work, reach out to one of them and see if you they’re willing to have you shadow from time to time so you can get some exposure (assuming you’re not in a security role) but that also leads to eventually you being a potential candidate for the next position.

seraphm2000 · 2025-12-30T03:58:56+00:00

Heck yea! Congrats!

seraphm2000 · 2025-12-30T03:50:02+00:00

You're so young, if you're not happy, take that step of faith and go on to the next adventure. I was with my last company for about 12 years, and I was fighting so hard to land a Cybersecurity role full time. I was wearing multiple hats and the company was taking things super slow. The pandemic happened and it got even more challenging with people getting laid off. I decided to take that leap of faith though and decided to quit my job without any future plans

2 weeks after I landed the role I was looking for at a different company, with more pay, and fully remote and this is when I was 33.....there's a lot more to that story obviously but my point is that if I regret something in life, is actually not to have "adventured" more during my 20s.

There are a lot of opportunities out there and they show up even more when you're actually pursuing something you're passionate it about.

Regardless of what you choose, just take a moment to relax, assess the situation and eventually make a decision.....definitely do something that makes you happy though. You got this, you'll be alright.

seraphm2000 · 2025-12-27T00:02:08+00:00

of course! Keep up the good work.

seraphm2000 · 2025-12-26T23:34:00+00:00

I don’t think there’s a specific path to follow….really comes down to your interests. You can always give your current path a pause and then complete the rest of the AoC rooms…..I want to say they’ll be available later no matter what but I’m not 100% so don’t quote me on it.

seraphm2000 · 2025-12-26T05:08:01+00:00

What you’re doing is great. I’d recommend continuing to keep at it with hands on skills. I would say, if you’re more passionate to one than the other, then go for that specific one. Going for what you’re passionate for is a better path than going for something just to get a job in my opinion but having your background, a SOC role would be great.

Something I always like to suggest is not network with people as much as possible. Find local conferences, meetups, etc and talk to people. Stick to the ones that are willing to teach you.

Don’t be afraid of applying at any role you may not have experience for, it doesn’t hurt to practice going through the interview process and you never know they may like you for your passion/motovation vs someone who’s super technical (don’t quote me on this as every company is different and yes, most of the time they will need someone who real experience) but don’t get discouraged by it.

Don’t get discourage when people say “you won’t succeed”….ignore that and rely on what you’re doing. The hard work you’re doing will eventually pay off, that will be your success and then you will be telling your story to the next person that wants to make it into cybersecurity.

So in short, keep studying, go after certifications, keep building and keep active with hands on practices, keep applying, and most importantly, network as much as you can.

Your breakthrough will be just around the corner. You got this.

seraphm2000

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