Hey everyone, I'm from Chicago and really want to get into cybersecurity, but I'm struggling to figure out how to actually get started without going broke.

I reached out to City Colleges of Chicago a while ago, and they told me there might be a fully funded program I could start in January. I was so excited about it, but after a few conversations and follow-ups, they just stopped responding. I still don't know if the opportunity is actually happening.

I'm also looking into Merit America's cybersecurity program, but I'm honestly not sure if it's worth it or if it'll actually help me get a job.

I'm willing to study and put in the work, but I can't afford to spend thousands of dollars on training or take on a bunch of debt. I'm working full-time and supporting myself, so I need to be realistic about this.

For those of you who got into cybersecurity without spending a ton of money, what did you do? Are there any fully funded programs, apprenticeships, or other routes I should look into? I'm especially interested in options available in Chicago.

I'd really appreciate any advice because right now I feel like I'm going in circles trying to find a way in.

What the title says. Looking for some ways to make some extra money.

Over 25 years of experience in the field.

I have experience in all areas of IT although most of my recent experience is in software dev/database work.

My last job was a remote gig. I think it would be tough to find something like it.

I'm getting calls for IT support/System Administration type roles. Those are pretty much the only jobs I'm seeing in the area I'm in atm.

A little less money and not remote but at least the commute isn't too far away.

If I couldn't find something remote, it would be a 90 minute commute to the city for a software dev job.

At this stage in my career, perhaps it's time to lower my expectations? I have only been off work for a couple weeks but I'm afraid if I get too picky now, having a larger gap on the resume will work against me later.

For context, I am a fresh BSIT graduate (as a Cum Laude) and I'm having a hard time deciding between two to three opportunities.

I recently got hired as a NOC Technician (half day process and hired immediately) at a company in a city which is approximately 2 hours away of commute. It's directly related to my degree and could help me build a career in networking and IT. My only problem is that the salary is only ₱13k/month, and I still have to consider renting a boarding house and cover food, transportation, and other expenses since I live around two hours away from home. And they want me to start this coming Monday.

I also applied at a BPO company for a CSR sales account. I luckily passed the initial interview and proceeded to the next validation stage. The recruiter discussed a compensation package of around ₱22k, with an estimated take-home pay of ₱19k after deductions, plus possible sales incentives. The location is in the same city, 2 hours of commute time from my hometown where I'm more familiar with the area and boarding houses. However, sales isn't really related to my degree or the career I've been preparing for.

There's also an IT Officer position in Manila that I've completed the initial and final interviews for. I've submitted my portfolio and still waiting for their decision which they made clear could take a week, regarding the salary I gave them a rough estimate of 25-30k/month. Problem is relocating to Manila would be difficult financially.

So I am really torn between taking the NOC role for the relevant experience or prioritizing the higher-paying sales job, saving money, and continuing to learn IT on the side. I know the long-term career paths are different, but I'm also worried about accepting a job that barely leaves me anything after expenses.

For those who've been in a similar situation, especially in IT or the BPO industry in the Philippines, what would you choose? Is taking the lower salary worth it for the experience while barely making expenses and savings, or would you prioritize financial stability at this stage?

I'd appreciate honest opinions, especially from people who've actually experienced either path.

I currently have my CCNA and recently completed the HPE Aruba Networking Certified Professional – Switching certification. The cert is essentially useless and a waste of time but I had to get it for partner status.

I have around 10 years of experience in IT, primarily in network engineering.

I'm looking to start studying for another certification, but this time I want something that will genuinely help with career advancement rather than just checking a box for my employer.

I've been considering the CCNP Enterprise, which I know would be the logical next step, but I am curious to see what others here would recommend.

Hi all

I am looking into courses I can do that will help enhance my career. Right now I am working for a company that handles Adtran clocks (I have been given basic training on configurations) for networks but I want to ensure I am as future proof as I can be. I am looking at the comptias. What are people's thoughts on these? Right now I am reading through the A+ book....

I'm lost for words. I've been job hunting and barely getting interviews.

I applied to a location in the middle of nowhere, for a 6 month contract (that later I found out would extend during the interview) and received an interview.

I answered everything almost flawlessly and used my experience to reinforce my answers.

I received the rejection email today.

I don't know what to do at this point. I've applied to nearly every job in my area that's suitable for me but don't even get interviews.

My resume seems good, my communication and experiences seem good but nada

Feel like giving up but I'm hoping there's something good waiting for me

This was the 2nd interview and it was with the head of IT, the first one was with the manager of service desk, the first interview was very technical and I smashed it ( did really well ).

Then at today's 2nd round with the head of IT I didnt expect it to be too technical but it was completely technical, I answered around 80% of the questions correctly but struggled with 2 questions that I didnt really expect.

I am wondering if this means that my chances are doomed for this role.

The questions were:

To explain the different routing protocols and what is OSPF and BGP and how they work.

How does file compression work at a high level. ( I did answer this but in short rather than the exact process of how it works)

Resume

I don't have any ambition anymore. I just want a normal job for a normal company doing normal things.

But a lot of my experience is so weird I'm not really sure what I'm set up for. My last job looks to have set me up for something in cybersec, but I've never used an EDR anyone's ever heard of or touched a siem, so security roles rarely give me the time of day. I've done some basic server work (I was the person who handled low disk space, service offline, and server offline alerts at the MSP), but I've never set anything up or touched any cloud, so admin jobs rarely give me the time of day either.

Any suggestions appreciated

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some genuine career advice from people working in the IT industry, especially those who have experience in cloud, DevOps, or Software Development.

A little about me:

• I completed my BCA in 2025.

• I recently joined an MNC with a package of ₹3.2 LPA.

• My designation is Engineer – Cloud & Infrastructure Management.

• Currently, my salary feels quite low considering the cost of living in Mumbai.

I want to grow technically, switch to a better company, and get a good salary. I’m particularly interested in moving toward Cloud Engineering or DevOps or SDE, but I’m open to other technical roles if they offer better long-term career growth.

I have a few questions for experienced professionals:

• What skills should I learn to switch to a better company with a package of ₹5–8 LPA or higher?

• Should I gain 1–2 years of experience in my current company before switching, or start applying after 6–8 months?

• If my current work mainly involves infrastructure support or ticket handling, will that experience help me get a Cloud Engineer or DevOps role?

• Which certifications are actually worth doing for a fresher or someone with less than one year of experience?

• Should I focus on AWS, Azure, Linux, Python, Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, and CI/CD? In what order should I learn them?

• Which companies hire candidates with my background for better technical roles?

• Realistically, what salary can I expect in my first switch?

I don’t want to keep switching companies just for small salary hikes. My goal is to build strong technical skills, get into a good engineering role, and eventually reach a much better salary.

I would really appreciate advice from people who started in a similar position or have successfully transitioned from infrastructure support to Cloud/DevOps or SDE. What would you do if you were in my position?

Thanks in advance!

I'm currently in infrastructure at a private sector org, but the industry that I work in has seen better days and the company isn't doing well. I've also been casually looking into public sector work for a couple years now. Mainly due to stability (though not as much anymore given the state of things...) and just working somewhere that I can feel good about.

I recently had a second interview at a state university, and they asked for references so I'm thinking I at least have a decent chance to get an offer. Base pay would be a decent chunk lower obviously, but the way cheaper benefits, pension, increased holiday schedule, and much closer commute would at least mostly make up for it.

What have been your experiences in public sector IT work overall? Most complaints seem to talk about outdated tech and very lean teams, but I'm already overworked on a small team so that wouldn't be much of a difference. Any input is appreciated, thanks!

So I’ve been working in a help desk role at a sheriffs department for the past 5 years after working in dispatch. I enjoy my job although it can be very busy at times. I make about 95k with small raises yearly maybe $1k. There’s not much room for growth although I’m well liked and a move to director within the next 5-10 years isn’t out of the realm of possibilities. I still have a lot to learn, I have an associates degree and I’m 46.

Now the question, a local police department has reached out to me about a more specialized position which would be more software related. Implementing, updating, troubleshooting programs for fire and PD while helping with helpdesk issues. The scale is $85-110k. I’ve been told I will start around 100k.

I live in the northeast. I’m intrigued by being somewhere new and growing and learning more.
It scares me to leave some place that I have worked for years plus I’m happy for the most part.

Vacation time will be about the same 30 days, same shift, same commute. Retirement would carry over. Just kind of curious what people think. Obviously it’s hard to give advice based on a snapshot. Thanks for listening and sorry for the length

I work at a MSP. When I first started, most of the clients I met asked for my phone number. I didn't think much about it and gave it to them, assuming they would call only for emergencies.

That was a mistake. Instead of using the ticketing system or phone system put in place, they are texting and calling me directly for every issue ranging from minor issues like "My PDF won't donwload!!!!!" to issues that I have no control over like "What is this bill for???" What's worse is that I'm getting texts and calls during after hours and weekends with their issues. I swear last night at 9:30PM I got a voicemail from a client that said "URGENT I CAN'T ACCESS QUICKBOOKS".

Don't make my mistake and give clients your phone number.

I'm currently a SOC analyst working at an MSP with 3 years of experience, with 1.5 years of those is in helpdesk and the remaining in cybersecurity (SOC) at present. I also have 4 certifications: Sec+, CISA, IAM and CySA+. We provide services to our clients by monitoring our clients' internet traffic on the surface visibility side and notifying the appropriate POCs if the device/users are engaging in any suspicious activities, whether that's a bad domain websites they visited or communicating with suspicious/malicious IPs. We also perform monthly vulnerability scans and notify the clients of any findings, and perform other normal SOC duties you would typically do at a SOC. We are not like a traditional SOC where it's a 24x7 operation and only work M-F with weekends off.

I feel like this position is limiting the knowledge that I can potentially learn because of our environment and the routine duties that we do every day that don't expose me to new things to learn. Don't get me wrong, when I first came into this position from helpdesk, I was grateful and learned a lot about cybersecurity, but now I am eager for more, and very much would like a pay increase. I dont want to sound greedy, and money is everything, but I feel like I am underpaid in this cyber field.

With some transitioning happening next year, I am looking for new opportunities where I can grow and learn more, and I'd like exposure to new tools and technologies, along with a pay increase.

I recently got an offer for a job with the medical device integration team in our org. Based on the interviews it seems to be supporting the transfer of data from physical endpoints to healthcare applications.

I'm currently a couple years into help desk in a tier 2.5 role. My long term goal is cybersecurity (blue team). I am posting here to see if anyone has an idea if jumping into this more specialized role helped you career or is it too specialized/niche?

Thanks in advance.