You can take the CompTIA tests from home due to COVID, I just bought a book and did self study and took the test after a week of studying hard.
I also earned the A+, Network+ and CysA+ all within the last five months. But yeah, I was pretty much good to go with security+ alone
It takes most ppl 30-45 days to study for Sec+ and that’s if you’re already tech savvy/ have some working knowledge and interest in that field. How you simply racked up all those certs in a seemingly short time doesn’t sound realistic. However, we can all acknowledge that we are not built the same.
When I left the BI world back at the end of May I went to a security specialist position where I had quite a bit of downtime and I was able to study at work and my employer didn’t mind, so that definitely helped a lot. I don’t have any prior IT experience.
I spent two weeks total studying for the A+ which is a two part exam, so one week for each test, two weeks total for Network+, a week for Security+ and about two weeks for CySA+. The first three are entry level certs and I feel they aren’t as hard as most people think they will be, plus there is a lot of overlap when it comes to CompTIA tests so that definitely made Security+ feel like the easiest one.
Either way with my timeline aside, the point still stands that if any BI’s on here are looking for something new and they have any interest in the IT whatsoever, studying for a couple certs (whether it takes you weeks or months) is the way to go, especially since they have the benefit of being cleared and can use that to their advantage
I’ve studied this manual and it’s challenging (didn’t say it is impossible) to obtain these certs without some prior knowledge and experience in IT. For someone to be able to obtain these certificates without any knowledge takes months and months of arduous study and reading.
I mainly watched video course on Udemy by a man named Jason Dion, the courses clock in under 20 hours and can be easily watched in a week or two. A+, Network+ and Security+ don’t require months of studying unless you’re studying 5 minutes a day. Professor Messer on YouTube has free video courses for the certs as well. The exams aren’t that difficult and you don’t need to know every little thing about IT to pass them.
I earned the A+ toward the end of August, went right into Network+ and got it at the beginning of September, took a little break, then focused on Security+ and earned that within the same month, took another break, then focused on CysA+ which I got a couple of weeks ago.
No prior IT experience other than being a computer user throughout my life. Didn’t really read any books, mainly just watched video course and took some practice tests. I simply wanted it bad enough so I made it happen
What did you use to study? I’ve been studying but don’t feel confident enough to take the exams. Maybe you found better resources?
The Jason Dion courses and practice exams on Udemy are the best I have found, in my opinion. Search his name on Udemy.com and you’ll see all of his courses. You can usually purchase a course for $10-15. If you click on a course and it shows you a way higher price, then just use incognito mode and go back to the page until it shows you a “sale” price between $10-15 or so
Ok thank you, I’ll review his videos. It’s saying a lot that you did all these certs that fast… amazing.
Kudos to you. Thank you for the inspiration! I am in the process of getting my Security+ also, and feel much more confident as I push forward and out of the BI world. Best of luck to you in your new career.
Wishing the best of luck to you! Getting the security+ along with your clearance will open up many doors, especially if you’re willing to relocate
Coursera a online course provider partnered with major universities and tech companies. They have a 4 to 8 month certificate program called IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate. It is free to take any course on coursera but if you want to get credit for the 8 courses and the Professional Certificate you need to register for the entire certificate program ($50/month). I don’t see why you couldn’t do it in the 4 months if you spent 6-8 hours per day at it. The certificate program is total beginner level and no experience is required. You can start the program at any time.
Here’s a link to the program (though I’d suggest downloading and working through the app):
No I am not . Never been to that site . And I would appreciate it if you remove your accusation. Thanks
Shhhh, don’t spread this around…lol. The more qualified people there are in the IT field the less lucrative the field will become j/k of course.
Seriously, though, cybersecurity is a really hot field too. Good pay and a real shortage of qualified people. Many, probably most, cybersecurity professionals start in IT non-cybersecurity specific roles. You made a wise choice, and for those who want to make a career move, this is a good field to consider.
Hey sideshowbob,
Can you elaborate on the CompTIA and other certs you earned and how they translated into gainful employment? I’ve been a contract investigator for 4+ years, I like the work and it pays well as a contractor – especially when you consider the flexibility and WFH aspects. But I am nervous that in the fall or winter contract work will dry up like it did in late 2019-early 2020 right before covid. For contractors there were some lean lean lean weeks in there.
I have never seen myself as “the IT person” but I’m a smart guy and a good student and am not worried about earning some lower-level certs after a few weeks of study and practice. You said you moved into a job making $75k, that does not sound like a bad deal for job security in the short term.
Thanks in advance.
Hey sorry, have not logged into this site in a while.
Certain certs like the CompTIA A+, Networking+ and most especially the Security+ can help you get an IT position with a DoD Contractor. All of the IT related contracts require certain certs like Security+ so you can leverage that along with your clearance and awesome customer service/soft skills learned from being an investigator. For me, once I got the certs, I did some networking in order to get into my first IT job.
I have since moved on from that job but I am still a DoD contractor, just in an actual cyber security position now, which I started in September of 2022
