What do you do?
- Thread starter Alkorin
- Start date
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Guest, it's time once again for the massively important and exciting FoH Asshat Tournament!
Go here and give us your nominations!Who's been the biggest Asshat in the last year? Give us your worst ones!
Vinen
God is dead
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You ain't not Security Engineer till you are talking STIG, FIPS, etc... OHH GOD GOVERNMENT COMPLIANCE == AIDS
Noodleface
A Mod Real Quick
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We do innovative security stuff for networks, I'm talking like intrusion detection and other physical stuff. Pretty crazy.
chaos
Buzzfeed Editor
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Yeah imma crazy STIGin motherfucker. Ruining system engineer days since 2008 son.
Getting to be time to jump ship. Word on these streets is GDIT is taking over our contract in august. Rumor is they pay shit, idk. I think right now I'll ride it out because I really like my job and manager. Who knows, it could turn out ok.
Getting to be time to jump ship. Word on these streets is GDIT is taking over our contract in august. Rumor is they pay shit, idk. I think right now I'll ride it out because I really like my job and manager. Who knows, it could turn out ok.
Flipmode
EQOA Refugee
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Aye WGU. For the cost it cannot be beat, IMO. I am contemplating switching to the security track just for the CCNA. I have until the end of my term to decide.
Palum
what Suineg set it to
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chaos
Buzzfeed Editor
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Yeah I already know the GD PM and she really likes me. Not ruling anything out right now. I did turn down a sec ops job at FBI and feeling like maybe I should have vetted that out a bit more but I didn't want to switch jobs now with all the personal shit I have going on or commute into the city. Whatever, it will work out.
Why aren't you trying to jump ship to GS? Let me know if you need help with that.
Rezz
Mr. Poopybutthole
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Unless you are specifically applying for a position that requires Net+/Security+/A+, the CCNA sort of invalidates those, especially if you get the CCNA Security as opposed to Routing and Switching. It's a step up (and since you've already covered those three areas, there's a decent amount of overlap) then you just need to get some experience and work towards a CCNP to start making bank. But a CCNA and a little experience will put you back at that 65k relatively quickly, and depending on location possibly higher.
Flipmode
EQOA Refugee
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I hear most government IT jobs require that trifecta of certs but otherwise, they are just general certs that came with the degree. Most of it was pretty easy for me and I passed on the first try with minimal studying. Only exception was the subnetting stuff, but that wasn't too difficult.
Rezz
Mr. Poopybutthole
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In that case, the CCNA is just that +1. It's "entry level" for non-helpdesk positions, which is probably 35-50k depending on area. A bit of experience lets you get the reasonably decent jobs, which again depend on area, can head from 60k and upwards. Then the general progression would be picking up a MCSE of some type in your desired path, and working towards a CCNP in the same area. At this point you will definitely eclipse your old pay rate, but that is 2+ years out, so the investment of time and energy is more up to you than anything else.
You can always get lucky and land something cushy with what you currently have/are working towards, but the baseline is not great thanks to outsourcing/h1bs etc.
You can always get lucky and land something cushy with what you currently have/are working towards, but the baseline is not great thanks to outsourcing/h1bs etc.
The CCNA certs trump the Net/Sec ones if you are trying to meet those requirements.
Vinen
God is dead
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chaos
Buzzfeed Editor
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I would, idk, I applied for a few spots but I don't think they really considered me. I want at least a 13 spot which most seem to promote from within. Idk, I finish my MS this year then I'm going to bang out the CISSP-ISSEP in the spring and reevaluate.
chaos
Buzzfeed Editor
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Yeah but they check the right box.
You can make fun of me, it's ok. But I thought Linux+ was kind of hard. All that graphics and gui shit coupled with crazy abstract questions about /proc files and other very unusual stuff, I expected it to be a cakewalk and it actually made me think.
Just in case you don't know you have to answer all questions at a "5" or whatever the max is. The software will not move you further if you don't.
Flipmode
EQOA Refugee
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Good news is I think I'm getting a interview for a help desk position. The bad news is I believe the pay cut will be as I suspected in the $10-11 and hour range. Their help desk positions start around $17-18. But not having to switch jobs and them continuing to pay for my school is a plus. I can move up in 3-6 months to desktop support or their NOC. They seem to always have positions open there.
Flipmode
EQOA Refugee
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Update: basically my salary would start out at their Max for the position because of some policy on demotions and my time of service with the company. So my starting salary would be in the $25/hr range. So only a little over $3 pay cut. I am also losing $5 differential pay but this is a much more feasible situation.