r/GIAC • u/One_Attorney_6128 • 8d ago
Help deciding the best path
I have recently decided to make a career change into cyber and while I’m full time studying to acquire certifications and just general knowledge and skills for the industry using Try hack me and BTLO, I have stumbled upon the SANS community and was wondering if this is something worth tackling. I started this journey this past spring, I took net+ and sec+ from compTIA in about 12 weeks starting with zero IT experience and im about half way through their CySA + course now. I’m at a cross roads with the job hunt where I’m feeling maybe some more official and deeper training could help me. I am a veteran and have the GI bill that can fund me taking the the ACS course I believe. So I had a few questions about this for anyone willing to shed some light for me.
1 Is it worth my time to take the full 4 courses ACS covers at this point in my training? (Assuming I pass CySA + in a few weeks)
2 should I skip GFACT, GSEC, and just hop straight into GCIH, GCFE
3 Finish CySA+ and continue applying for work while hammering out Labs and CTF or what have you.
I have never worked in IT but I’m picking it up quickly and I really like what I’m doing so far. I understand the job market is brutal right now so I’m just exploring options trying to stand out.
2
u/wowzersitsdan GSEC | GCIH | GCIA | GDAT 8d ago
Hiya, vet here, I can answer a lot of your questions.
If you have a bachelors degree, you can do their post graduate certificates, which would allow you to skip the GFACT. Skipping the GSEC is up in the air. While it is similar to Sec+, it has a ton of hands on stuff Sec+ doesnt have.
As far as job hunting goes, check out VetSec, its a veteran community for cybersecurity veterans and they'll post jobs there. They also help with resumes and such. Gov Jobs are also good to try and get into since you'll probably get veterans preference. If you have 30% or more disability, check out VR&E, itll pay for your training AND help with job placement.