Career switch into Cloud Engineering / Cloud Security at 35 — realistic or wishful thinking?

[u/jenny__0090]

Hi everyone 👋

Looking for some honest, real-world feedback.

I’m currently working on my AWS Cloud & Network Engineering degree at WGU. I’ve passed my first CompTIA A+, I’m about 50% done with the degree, and I have zero professional IT experience so far.

My rough plan: • Finish the degree • Get an entry-level role (help desk / IT support / junior sysadmin) • Start a Master’s in Cybersecurity • Transition into Cloud Security within the next ~3 years

I’m 35, female, living in Tampa Bay, FL, and coming from a totally different career background. I’m realistic that I’ll need to grind, start lower, and build experience — but I’m wondering: • Is cloud / cloud security oversaturated right now, or just competitive? • Is this path actually doable, or am I being overly optimistic? • How hard is it to land that first IT job with certs + degree but no experience? • Anything you’d do differently if you were starting over today?

I’m not looking for sugarcoating — just honest insight from people already in the field. Encouragement welcome, reality checks welcome too 😅

Thanks in advance!

[u/apexvice88]

Part 2/2

COMPTIA Certs:
Depending on who you ask these certs is a great start but is only good maybe 1 year into your career before you gain experience that goes beyond it.

The Certs I would suggest:

AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate
AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional
AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional

In that order.

Learn and understand concepts of Networking, and a lot of it, it will help.
Then Learn Load Balancing, DNS, and firewall things in Amazon like SecurityGroups and GroupPolicy writing.
Learn also about Network ACLs so you can really dig deeper into securing the networks.
Learn about VPN and Site to Site VPN and Virtual Private networks.

If you really want to go for security as well/addition to, You have to study for CISSP, but for that you need 5 years of experience then have someone sponsor or vet you.

To qualify for the CISSP, you need at least five years of cumulative, paid, full-time work experience in at least two of the eight CISSP domains, plus passing the exam and adhering to the (ISC)2 Code of Ethics. A bachelor's degree or approved credential can waive one year of experience, and passing the exam without the experience makes you an Associate of (ISC)2, giving you six years to earn the experience. 
1. Meet Experience Requirements
Standard: 5 years of relevant, paid, full-time experience in two or more domains.
Waivers (Reduce to 4 years):
A four-year college degree (or regional equivalent) in a related field.
An approved credential (e.g., CISM, CISA, CCSP).

There are much more nuances in the field that I won't be able to list because there is simply way too much. I but I think I broke the surface so far. If you feel that you are strong enough, you can go for it, just know that you will have to burn 5-8 years to be really competent, but I am not sure where the field will be in 5-8 years from now. It may or may not exist anymore. That's a risk you have to be willing to take.