Weekly thread for any and all career, learning and general guidance questions. Thinking of taking a training or going for a cert? Wondering how to level up your career? Wondering what NOT to do? Got other questions? This is the time and place to ask!
I have a background as a technical specialist and consultant, but not in software. Is the best way to transition through a re-education? Or are there other steps to try out the industry before committing years of school?
Also, how is the career prospects within the current mass IT layoffs?
There’s no one path in to be sure. But there’s lots of ways to educate yourself and build a “hireable” portfolio from home and without getting a typical 4-year degree. Learn to code, get some applicable certifications, start a website (as your digital portfolio), contribute to open source or spin up your own project(s), etc… The IT/software/cyber market is not at its peak (in terms of opportunity), but we’re definitely still here and there are openings. It’s still a great field with a lot of perks if you can weather the challenges of “breaking in”. It’s also not going anywhere, despite what some may lead you to believe given the advent of “AI”. For those of us in tech, we’ll be the first to tell you that our jobs are pretty safe.
If it’s infosec you might be interested in, you may find this guide I put together and typically share interesting - https://shellsharks.com/getting-into-information-security.
Good luck!