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New Student
I finally made the jump and will be starting my cybersecurity training in December through OSU. I have work no experience in tech and have a few questions:
Can I get a job with just a certificate?
Can I get an entry-level job while in school?
Are there any courses through LinkedIn Learning, Coursa, or Udemy you would recommend I take now to help with my studies?
I will accept all advice.
Much thanks
I taught in a similar program. The answer is complicated.
If you make this program your full-time job and supplement it with resources like Udemy, etc, then you have a shot. But, I would not limit yourself to those MOOC courses.
Go to LinkedIn and find out the tech skills for the job you want.
For example, if you are finding a lot of jobs require Google Cloud experience, then find a Google Cloud certificate course you can complete. And rinse and repeat until you have the OSU program and related certificates under your belt.
The other thing that I suggest is that you have real-world projects to showcase. I do not mean just your school work. Take the time after you are done to make those projects your own and make sure that you can showcase them to employers in some way.
Cyber is a good field but it is also one that requires experience. So the more dedication and hours you put in, the more likely an employer is to give you a chance.
AND look for internships early. If your program is connected to certain internships, make sure you know what those companies are and the skills you need to make sure YOU get those internships.
In tech fields you really need to show you have the skills, you can skill up quickly, and you have to be persistent.
But you can do it. It will be a lot of work but I started my tech journey with a university certificate and I have been working in tech for 5 years.
This is very helpful.
Thank you so much. I know I cannot go 6 months without work, but maybe a part-time job will help until I can get an internship.
You could definitely go for an internship in school. I don't know anyone in the field who doesn't have a degree unfortunately. Do you not have any degree, or just not a tech based one? Even an English degree would give you better chances than none at all.
User deleted comment on 10/28/23 at 12:05AM UTC
Ohio State University. and yes I will let everyone know.