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Has anyone used ITProTV or any other online website for learning and advancing their career?? What other sites have you tried and are happy with the results?? The reason I ask is because I spent 27 years in IT back when the Internet was taking off and learned everything via OJT. Only real formal classroom training I’ve had was when I took a Basic Unix Users 3 day class given by IBM in Manhattan, NY in 1996 and paid for by my then employer. Spent most of those 27 years working in NOC’s. I’m the type that learns by doing not by reading books or watching videos as the much younger generation is accustomed to. I’ve been thinking of breaking into the cybersecurity field but I see its challenging to get started there also. But I’m willing to give it a try based on what I find out here. In June of last year my previous employer of 12 years told me my services were no longer required and I’ve yet to find a job anywhere and I know it’s because of: A) my age and B) my lack of any significant certifications of any kind. So I’d appreciate whatever feedback I can get here on your thoughts. Thanks!!

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I haven’t used ITproTV, but WeirdFish for some “strange” reason tagged Lindsey from ITproTV in another thread I’m about to comment on (I have several windows open atm to respond to yet - ugh!), so I’m going to say he has some feedback :wink:

As for myself, guess what? We’re pretty much in the same boat - worked for one company for 15 years, went on active duty for 9 1/2 for the Army (overlap of 3 years), couldn’t find a job for several months leading up to and after my retirement in 2015 from the Army. Even though I went through the MCSA Server 2012R2 courses in the Spring of that year. Got a non-IT contract job for the Army (figures) which I got laid off from mid-June of last year and up until one solid hit a few weeks ago that would be too much of a commute, I’ve had nada. My last cert was actually A+ which is current and prior was in 1996 for NT 3.5x, so nothing “real” imho. I have been lucky, in a sense, that I’ve been able to get some paid training over the past several months, along with a plethora of free training I’ve been doing for quite some time.

So, two of the vendors I’ve used consistently, are Skillsoft through their Percipio platform and Safari Books Online which is through O’Reilly . We actually did a Video Meetup last week with Skillsoft, so if you had asked your question just a tad sooner, I would have pointed you to the registration. But, through the magic of technology, I can reach out and connect you with Sarah for Skillsoft who can go over what they currently have and their new “Aspire” platform which is what the focus of last week’s VMU was about.

I have also gone through New Horizons for several courses, which were taught in a “live online” format, where the format is basically the same that you can have a live instructor teaching the class from wherever, or you can view the class’s recording at a later date if necessary.

Personally, I’d rather be in a classroom where you can get your hands onto things or the instructor for that matter, but, that’s my old age talking. Today, that’s not feasible, hence the many vendors out there such as the ones mentioned above. I like what Skillsoft is doing with its Aspire platform, so that would put them at the top of my list going forward.

Just my two cents and a whole lot of letters and stuff to go with it :wink:

Edit: Oh, and btw, I remember Legato, luckily I wasn’t using it, just others around me - I’ll just leave that here - lol

@weirdfish @sarah-for-skillsoft

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I tagged Lyndsey (ITProTV) in that topic because the question was specifically about ITIL training and she’d posted some resources that ITProTV had offered recently about ITIL v4. Figured I’d make the introduction. :slight_smile:

I also figure that not everyone is interested in going the route I did for my ITIL training (college credit as an elective as part of my graduate degree program).

@lyndsey-itprotv

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But back to OP, you’ve spent almost 30 years in a professional capacity. Suppose you weren’t trying to shift gears into something you’ve never done before (because you’re right in that even though age discrimination is illegal, organizations have other creative ways to decline an elder statesman without indicating that age was a factor and then it’s up to the applicant to prove that age discrimination occurred).

How would you articulate your existing experience? How would you also describe this one-year break?

My feeling is that, if you can, land something that’s close to or the same as what you had been doing already because that’s where your experience is and where you can speak knowledgeably about the details of it. Just learning cybersecurity now means that when you’re asked in an interview “do you have experience with…” you’re in a position of just reciting book knowledge or even worse, you end up saying “no, not professionally.”

And they’ll know it.

I just interviewed for a tech director position and the feedback I got was that I had nailed everything else from leadership philosophy and service orientation, except the network administration experience they wanted (and didn’t include in the job posting, but that’s a gripe for another time). When those questions came up, I could only respond honestly with “I don’t have experience with that.” I could tell they were disappointed, and at that point, I knew I lost.

If I did cram for network admin with online resources the night before, I still wouldn’t have been able to credibly answer their questions because I would be lacking in the essential details that show that I actually did it instead of just reading about it.

So would it be an option for you to look for something like what you’ve been doing and then once you get in, start shifting toward a new segment?

Are you able to identify how you’ve already grown within the last 30 years? In other words, can you show that you’ve done different things throughout your career instead of repeating the same 3-4 years of experience 7-8 times over?

To illustrate, at my previous organization where I was for 17 years, the first eight years were just the same things over and over, so no real professional growth. I had the desire to move up and out of turning screwdrivers, but I had nothing to prove my capability that matched that desire. In 2008, I took an internal opportunity to grow (was really lucky) and spent the following 9 years learning and growing (though I still had to turn screwdrivers, so the progress was a lot slower than I wanted). Eventually, I landed where I am now, in data analytics and business intelligence.

Had I started earlier in getting out of my own self-imposed rut, I probably would have grown professionally a lot sooner. But that’s what I mean about differentiating between “X years of experience” or “X years of experience repeated Y times.”

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If you’re looking to break into the cybersecurity field, I’d recommend checking out the SSCP, CySA+, and CASP+ certifications. These will all build off of your 27 years of experience to give you a great intermediate level of knowledge of security. If you’d rather pursue a career in pentesting or vulnerability assessment, the most popular certifications in that discipline are the CEH and Pentest+. Now, there are plenty of other certifications out there, but any of the ones I listed would be a great first step towards pivoting your career into cybersecurity!

As for learning platforms, I think you’re absolutely right in looking for an online solution. If you’re looking for a platform that’s both budget and schedule friendly, you should check out Infosec Skills ! We curate and condense content from our online boot camps for you to stream at your convenience. Since you said you prefer learning by doing, we also offer a ton of hands-on labs in our cloud-hosted cyber ranges. I’m currently working through our networking cyber range before tackling the pentesting labs.

I’m a strong believer that no one is too old or too young for IT, so I’m sure you’ll find success if you keep at it. Whichever path you choose, I wish you the best of luck, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!

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Building a bit on what Weirdfish said, I had a phone interview for a database job with a company that has a truly massive scale of databases, far bigger than anything I’ve touched. Their internal corporate HR called me about it - I didn’t apply or send a resume (yeah, it still happens). Admittedly I hadn’t eaten all day (I was scheduled for a medical procedure the following day) and after it was over there was the inevitable kicking myself for saying this or that instead of something else. Nevertheless I feel I did okay. Still waiting to see if I’ll get an in-person.

Incidentally I also had a second recruiter contact me about another opportunity on the same day which I am exploring.

However, the reason I mention it is it’s taken me around 10 years to get that phone call. Like you I learn best by doing, even if I’m reading or watching a video. I’ve put all that effort into securing my MCSA in SQL Server development, which certainly has helped me clear some filtering hurdles on various search engines.

In the meantime, I’ve put my existing skills to work securing employment in environments where I can also play with SQL Server and apply some of the stuff I’ve been learning. Point being, as Weirdfish noted, leverage your existing skill set and more important any accomplishments to gain employment while working toward where you want to go. Employers tend to sit up and take notice when you have something where you say “I did X project and it resulted in $Y of savings (or increased revenue) over a period of Z.” Or it could be you were consistently above customer SLA by X%, etc. You get the idea.

On a final note, do the kind of networking that doesn’t involve wires or antennas. Strive to get to know people who can become a resource for you and you become a resource for them. Ping some friends and former colleagues and see if they know of something. Maybe even do some volunteer work for a local organization where you can use your skills. If there are user groups or professional associations nearby, attend.

Learning is good, but networking is better.

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Larry, strange yet so very true, as I got one of “those” calls myself - happened to be from an MSP and one of the co-owners called me while going through Indeed - I was floored and nailed the interview, even though my skills were quite “rusty” in some areas, they were willing to get me back up to speed. Even had an offer on the table, but the commute would have killed me :confused:

@larryshanahan

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Stormwinds and new horizons have both been helpful in my career.

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Thanks everyone for your recommendations and advice…I know I’m not the only one singled out because of age…I’ve heard about and seen it throughout the years…unfortunately the laws protect employee’s in the workplace not those who have been already let go as I found out from AARP…these archaic laws from 1967 need to be revised for the current situation but I’m sure many companies will line up to protest against any changes to that anytime soon…I hope others will see this post and continue to participate and share their experiences as I’m sure there are more who can benefit from this information…thanks again all…

@weirdfish @michaelmtallman @eric7615 @larryshanahan @sam-infosec

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Speaking of age discrimination in and out of the workplace: