NIT (Ninja in Training) looking for guidance.

[dninja at gmail.com (Robin Wood)]

A similar question was recently asked on the security focus pentest
list, have a look at the archives for

Elizabeth Tolson <elizabethtolson at gmail.com>
date    17 April 2009 15:11

She is starting at a different level to you but there are some answers
that may help.

My suggestion is find an area you are interested in and start digging
in it. Either get involved with a tool, modifying/improving it if you
can or just using it and giving feedback, maybe write a tutorial for
it, or find an area that you don't think isn't currently  explained
well for beginners and have a go at documenting it yourself. The more
you put yourself out there and get involved the more and quicker
you'll learn things. Don't worry if things you put out seem too easy,
remember, if you struggled before you learnt the skill then others
will also be struggling.

Robin


2009/5/13 Dancing Dan <d4ncingd4n at gmail.com>:
> I was in your shoes at one time. I changed careers without a degree at a
> time
> when I was the sole support of my stay-at-home wife and small children. Here
> are my suggestions:
>
> 1. Believe in yourself. You will face setbacks along the way but, you must
> never
> give up. Part of the reward of the accomplishment is the difficulty of the
> task.
> Your task will take time and much effort but, it can be accomplished.
>
> 2. Learn to understand business principles and not strictly technical
> issues.
> You will need the ability to communicate your ideas to the business people.
> If
> you can speak "non-tech" as well as "tech" you will demonstrate your value.
>
> 3. Learn to deal with people, even difficult people. Enemies can harm
> your career, allies will build your career. Listen to other people. Realize
> that you can learn something from everyone. Do not fall into the
> "alpha-geek"
> trap that can limit your career.
>
> 4. Be prepared to do more than is expected. Be willing to help others. See
> #3.
>
> 5. Network. Look at the ISSA, Infraguard, etc. Put a profile on LinkedIn.
> Volunteer
> for charities or non-profits. Build a reputation as someone that is
> knowledgeable,
> dependable, enthusiastic, and pleasant. If you are incredibly talented and
> completely
> unknown, you are limiting your options.
>
> 6. Be patient for the right opportunity. Realize that some companies will
> not
> hire you without a degree regardless of your skills. Be prepared to "pay
> your dues"
> for a period of time in a demanding position with little reward. Remember
> that
> salary is only part of the equation. After a certain point, opportunities
> for
> training/advancement can out-weigh salary.
>
> 7. Pursue free training as much as possible, obtain certifications as
> your experience and skill level permits. Always reach a little higher than
> where you are now.
> Invest in yourself.
>
> 8. Don't lose sight of why you are working. Make time for your family. Your
> children will grow up way too fast before you realize what happened. Make
> sure
> you put away some money for retirement and your children's education.
>
> 9. Learn a broad variety of skills. I recommend working as a Sys Admin for a
> while
> to gain skills and experience.
>
> Good Luck!
>
> Bart
> > > Nick,
> > >
> > > Hey we all got to start somewhere. the best advice i can give is from
> > > my own experience. Earlier in life i was almost done with med school
> > > when i realized computers wouldn't sue me for making a mistake :) I
> > > started out as a lineman for the local cable company, quickly moving
> > > into cablemodem installs, then up to a tech support role in the call
> > > center. from there i took a couple of certs got a+, mcsa, security+. i
> > > completely relate to the money situation, when i was doing this i had
> > > 2 in diapers, wife stayed at home. What i found out is investing in
> > > yourself will pay off. a year later i got mcse + security and ccna,
> > > within 3 months i was able to double my salary. 8 years and several
> > > certs later i hold a director level position for a large BPO firm.
> > >
> > > Keep in mind these things are not going to happen overnight. Take a
> > > chance and invest in yourself and it will pay off in the long run.
> > >
> > > Good luck!! start off with the fundamentals.... get some network /
> > > system admin time under your belt. in due time youre security chi will
> > > develop
> > >
> > > -
> > > Vinny
>
>
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