1

I just wanted to know how I could get started in IT. I will be going to school for Cyber Security in the fall.

12 Spice ups
2

The best way is to get experience. Jump in the deep end. If you can get a job, even an entry level one, do that. If you can’t find someone who will hire you, volunteer at a non profit.

There are tons of learning resources out there available for free. One of the most accessible is the Microsoft Virtual Academy, but there are many others.

3

Ok, thanks. I just don’t know where to start or begin.

4

Besides Cyber Security, what are your interests in IT?

5

Like all things, just do it. I got into IT largely by accident. I’ve always been into computers, but I waded chest deep into it without even knowing I was getting into it. I found a passion (In this case providing a service for Emergency First Responders over the then fledgling internet), and before I knew it I had a business and a new career.

Justjump in. You never know where it will lead!

1 Spice up
6

Sosipater wrote:

Besides Cyber Security, what are your interests in IT?

Just trying to get into another career field. I’m just interested in learning new things and see where I can go with IT.

7

Well, one of the first things to find out is what parts of IT you like best. Find a small business or small non profit local to you and offer to help them. Get exposed to different portions of IT, and then you’ll have a better idea of what direction you might want to go in.

Unfortunately without knowing you better, likes, dislikes, hopes, even region, it is difficult to give recommendations beyond the general.

8

Ok, thanks! I am actually from the DC area.

9

That actually puts you in a good place for volunteering if you have the time. There are a ton of non profits/501c(3)s that have more needs than they have budget to cover. Find one near you geographically that is doing something you at least don’t find objectionable, put together a quick resume and offer to help them with their computer problems. You may even end up getting paid if you do good work.

10

What’s Cyber Security consist of? Remember that getting into security without a solid foundation of everything else, is like becoming an automotive quality engineer without even knowing the basics of a car.

If possible I would focus on learning the basics that are mots common to any business.

  • Windows Administration(resolve PC problems essentially)
  • Active Directory(what businesses use to store employee accounts and create traceability and audit trails)
  • Virtualization(HyperV and ESXi)
  • The basics of networking, subnetting, dhcp, DNS - The more you know about networking the easier it’ll be to relate to everything else
  • System imaging (reloading machine’s OS’s quickly, and efficiently)
  • Brush up on documentation (IT is awesome when good documentation exists, be it you generating it, or you using someone else’s notes)

Those are things all businesses utilize, if you can learn those, you can do helpdesk, and some volunteering work should get you the experience to get in.

Be very weary of cyber security, as I honestly don’t even know what that would encompass if it’s a theoretical education or a hands on, if hands on hardware/software specific? Networking specific? Broad picture? Or catered towards small business? Oriented towards securing web services?

2 Spice ups
11

What would you describe as your current level in IT ? Maybe that would be a good starting point to know :slight_smile:

IT is very diversified so there are a lot of directions you can go in. Programmer , administrator , … . It’s really up to you to find out who does what and what you are most interested to do.

Good luck :slight_smile:

12

Thank you all for the help. I know a little about computers. I know how to fix a computer and build one from the ground up.

1 Spice up
13

Then Cyber Security isn’t where I would start. That’s usually after some time in the field, folks will transition into security implementations and auditing but in the beginning it’s hard to do security without knowing the networks on which you are working.

Try something along the lines of learning system’s administration or network design/administration. Also a dedicated security person usually only occurs at a very large corporation where there isn’t a jack of all trades but rather masters of various disciplines(storage admin, sys admin, dedicated network admin, security and auditing team, etc) Most small businesses don’t have the budgets to afford those things and prefer someone who knows a decent bit about everything but isn’t narrowing in on just one field, hence jack of all trades but master of none.

1 Spice up
14

Thanks for the info…

15

This is what I did…

Enrolled in college degree program. LAN Administration

Applied for financial aid

Used financial aid for work study. Got a Student tech job working at the college.

I also worked at financial aid (great Networking, this actually got me my first real job)

Volunteered everywhere I could and got letters of recommendation from the Non Profits.

Immersed myself in what I enjoyed, at the time it was networking. I got some old equipment from one of the non profits and set up my own lab at home and just played around.

Built computers for friends, helped them with technology needs.

Read everything I could on tech and emerging fields.

Even then I found it hard to break out into tech. But luckily I had been working at Financial Aid assisting other students, basically customer service. I still believe customer service is the hear of IT, but that is for another discussion.

Anyway one of the students I had helped husband was a Senior Analyst with the newspaper. She recommended me to him because I had helper her with financial aid. I interviewed and had a leg up because of this. I got the job and it was the best thing for me, it was a 24/7 production environment. It taught me to be very careful when making changes and has saved my Ass more times than I can count.

1 Spice up
16

Thanks for the info. I’m going to look up some non profits tonight.