HOW MUCH MONEY CAN YOU MAKE IN CYBER SECURITY AND IT? | ALL MY JOBS AND EARNINGS (2007-2020)

[@JoshMadakor]

🔒Hands-On Cybersecurity / SOC Analyst Training (REAL EXPERIENCE)🔒 joshmadakor.tech/cyber

[@robinbrown3136]

Hi Josh, do you offer a mentorship program?

[@Goodbye-Charlie]

Josh, so I was wondering I’m going to be attending WGU soon what field would you recommend for someone who has a felony theft conviction from 10+ years ago if you could give me some insight I would really appreciate it. Thank you

[@duprleo1]

You are a blessing I am going to try to get some folks from my Church on the bandwagon for school and cybersecurity opportunities! I work with Kids in Michigan and I think you have the right program!

[@tshinder]

I enjoyed working with you at MSFT - I hope I was one of those smart people you were referring to :)

[@JoshMadakor]

TOM OMG, I can't believe I'm seeing you in these comments. And you absolutely were one of the smart people I was referring to, very specifically! haha

[@dannylegendinusa]

Now imagine if you lashed out Tom in the video😂😂

[@NDE-SDJ]

Hey Josh, I am actually not in the IT space, I am in accounting. But I really like hearing people's career journeys and what they learned. Seems like you have done well for yourself. It is a good point to keep yourself grounded but also open to new opportunities. Keep it up man, I really like your content.

[@JoshMadakor]

Thanks so much for the kind words, I really appreciate it.

[@marquiswadebey3983]

I think it's awesome how business and IT go hand in hand.especially if you're aligned with AICPA.

[@BASEDBOARD]

Know the Ways of all professions. -Miyamoto Musashi

[@Lyriks_]

Dude i just love your content, i wish i had a mentor like you when i started

[@JoshMadakor]

You're too kind lol, thanks very much

[@classicaprilpie]

Agree with this comment! Just starting and I appreciate your content, Josh! Incredibly helpful.

[@conniebarrick8265]

I don't love your content. You, tiring, yo said yourself, I did not know what I wanted, that is why so many jobs. I my opinion, you needed to a take breather, time out, take an evaluation of yourself. In stead you went hopping, to hopping to who knows where? I took time out, I did decide to go into the financial world. But that went bust last year 2020, included all my money for rent. Now, I have decided to go with computer programming, and that is it, I'm done! p.s. I love this new career, period.

[@Wenshu_Art]

@@conniebarrick8265 no one asked

[@Joeman21]

Hey Josh, I just found your videos. I'm in school now for IT certs and trying to get into IT. I really appreciate you sharing your experiences.

[@JoshMadakor]

Hey! Thanks so much for watching. Best of luck with your school and IT journey. I'M SURE YOU'RE GONNA MAKE IT! Just keep pushing but give yourself time to rest 👏 lol

[@Geomaverick124]

I feel that the first part with your first job can really help people in IT. You said in preparation for someone to leave you got a copy of that person's resume and started to study and do what they did. I feel that decision was one of the most crucial...you looked at someone who was in a space you wanted to be in and did what they did to get that job. Di you think you could do a vid on this process? I know it is similar to the getting a job without experience video...I think it could benefit people who want to advance their careers

[@JoshMadakor]

Oh sure, I will add it to my requests! If I don't crack it out tomorrow, I will try to do it this week some time.

[@Geomaverick124]

@@JoshMadakor Awesome and thanks again

[@joelittle7488]

Been watching a lot of your WGU videos after I started the enrollment process. Great content and super encouraging for someone basically starting from scratch. Excited to start my IT journey, thanks man!

[@JoshMadakor]

Thanks so much for watching! Best of luck with your wgu journey :o)

[@joelittle7488]

@@JoshMadakor thanks! I'll keep you posted, I'll be starting in August. I'm still pretty new so I don't expect to knock it out in 6 months, but I'm going to aim to finish in under a year!

[@ShenitaRamos]

@@joelittle7488 how's it going at WGU?

[@XxAlex530xX]

Bump

[@GTRNights]

I don't know why I enjoy watching these so much. I have my own journey that I went through, from being a homeless Army veteran, to being a Director of Infosec. I just like seeing other people's journeys I guess.

[@JoshMadakor]

Thabks for watching! Your story sounds so inspiring tbh. Any links to it?

[@GTRNights]

@@JoshMadakor Hi Josh! Actually, no. I don't really talk about it. Figured nobody cared lol.

[@jtmack55]

@@GTRNights I'd love to hear it! You never know.. A takeaway I've gotten by uniquely you by Ron kitchens, is that you never know when your words of positive affirmation could help someone in a key turning point in their life. Someone may need to hear your story. Super proud of you though! Keep doing great things!

[@PrinzII]

I would love to hear it.

[@intellectualhybrid2]

I just joined a really amazing apprenticeship opportunity at a massive shipping liner company as a cyber technologist. I'm super excited about this new phase in my life

[@JoshMadakor]

That's so awesome, big congrats on that. Best of luck!

[@MsLLewis77]

I like your energy. Also, I love how you answer comments with positivity and poise.

[@JoshMadakor]

Haha, thanks for the kind words. I really want to start uploading again but I'm doing too much IRL so I gotta avoid getting burned out lol. Once I finish my BS CS, I will start again. Srs, thanks for watching and taking the time to comment :)

[@networkyourfuture2022]

Truly do appreciate the transparency and sharing/dialoguing different aspects of each job (not just a job description, or pay, but actual aspects of each position). I know this type of video definitely helps to show what truly can be involved when working in I.T. around the world and much love and respect. Great job.

[@steventurner4179]

I just randomly fell into this video and I feel like I’m at the beginning of the same journey lol. I took a contract job thinking it would be more technical, but I’m basically just sending emails all day. But I talked to my supervisor and he got me moved over to a Jr. NOC analyst. Now I basically study CCNA all day and reset ports. I asked for more technical duties and I might get to do some port changes now. Not moving as fast as I want, but I’m taking advantage of the study time. Good to see it’s all worked out for you.

[@stealthystrolls]

This is great and very helpful for a Sys Admin who's starting to feel bored and stuck! I too want to transition into a more security oriented role like you were able to in Hawaii.

[@JoshMadakor]

Thanks! Glad you liked the content. I'm about to release a whole bunch of Cyber Security practice interview videos. Hope those can help!

[@CharlesHayden]

Thank you for your transparency. I love the free flowing attitude. I used a very same attitude when it came to finding new career opportunities in IT. Im inspired to make a similar video like this someday. Good luck in all your future roles.

[@tymaketheworldabetterplace4247]

Love your video’s!! I am in the middle of my Cybersecurity courses. It’s great hearing your career journey in this field. Can’t wait to get my career started . Keep up the great work.

[@Damo_LowEnd_or_NoEnd]

Man bro I need your help on how I can get started

[@JoshMadakor]

Thanks so much! It can be a lot of fun if you are doing stuff that you like! Try to be open to new stuff too, it might suck sometimes, but it might open crazy unexpected doors as well :)

[@JoshMadakor]

Check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6XLnKp4fr-jnpY It's applicable to both IT and Cyber. If you have no experience, I might recommend getting into IT first and then weaseling your way into Cyber Security. Good luck!

[@globright9127]

Great video! Most people beat around the bush about their roles/positions and salaries so I really appreciate this video!

[@JoshMadakor]

Ayyy glad you liked it! I try to be transparent lol. Thanks for watching :)

[@crash_override9435]

He was like you should apply to this and i was just like "All right!" haha, loving the content josh!. Really appreciate your story and transparency.

[@JoshMadakor]

Lmao. Thanks so much, and thanks for watching. I really appreciate it 😂🙏🏻

[@frkzoid]

I can understand how you feel with bigger organisations being slow with implementation. In the past, I used to do more than the job and people took advantage of that. I got out of IT but now getting the itch to get back in it. Thanks for sharing

[@JoshMadakor]

Hey again Franz. NP! Thank you for watching!

[@talktechwrandall5037]

Way to show it, a lot of us in the field aren't as transparent about our journey through I.T.

[@JoshMadakor]

Thanks, hope it was interesting haha. I sense quit the last job I talked about in this video :p

[@kellygibson7299]

Hey Josh, appreciate you sharing your story. Just found your channel today and I already enjoy the way you explain the IT industry and your experience.

[@JoshMadakor]

Hey Kelly, I'm glad you've enjoyed the content thus far! I've been on a break, but I'll be putting some more out here before long. Thanks so much for commenting :)

[@carolinel9608]

I thought the transparency in this video was great. I also saw the seeds of why you ended up leaving your last position before going full time on KZbin. Thank you for sharing.

[@JoshMadakor]

Hey Caroline! Yeah, them seeds were definitely there hahaha. Wish I could go back and tell past Josh to quit sooner :p

[@HisokaTheClown916]

Working two full time jobs is crazy

[@Igbobabexoxo]

Daily new to the IT world! I’m starting my MS in IT(Cyber security) in a few months and I’m excited. This will be my second Masters. My whole career has been geared towards the healthcare sector/management. It’s time to switch things up and truly make IT my passion. Along with the degree , my program automatically comes with a cert! Thanks for the video and my fingers are crossed 🤞🏾 Cyber Security for Goldman Sachs I’m coming for you!!

[@JoshMadakor]

Hey Nneka! Good luck with the program and good for you for going after what you want!!! Wish you all the best, and thanks for the comment!!!

[@kwasiboat9467]

Love your content btw. Very interesting journey. You were opened wide array of things and that lead to many opportunities and skills. I’m a database analyst transitioning to cyber security. Passed the Comptia and learning on OSINT tools. Thanks for sharing

[@JoshMadakor]

Thanks Kwasi! Appreciate you watching! OSINT stuff seems REALLY cool to me. Once KZbin settles down a bit, I look forward to diving into that a bit

[@nintendoant88]

Just found your channel. Very impressive background. I am starting my career in cyber security this December. I hope to be as big as you one day.

[@JoshMadakor]

Glad you found the channel! Thanks so much for watching. You can definitely surpass me. I'm just some random guy who can't deal with having too much on my plate, haha. Best of luck with the career! Stick to doing things that you enjoy!

[@kanzah4204]

Not in IT at all but I enjoy watching your videos bc of your personality. Keep it up, your content is great!

[@JoshMadakor]

This means a lot to me, thank you so much for the kind words and thank you for watching :)

[@rashida7777]

D@mn, that's a lot of jobs! Most people are happy to get one. You're like my was. She was a job magnet. Great paying jobs...in 30 seconds. I think it is a personality thing.

[@Delliofreight]

Hey josh .This is really awesome and it shows me that there are so many pathways into the the it sector.I love how u still kept developing your skills though your journey.I’m pursuing my comptia network and security plus.I’m feeling like eventually I will need to get a degree.

[@JoshMadakor]

Hey, thanks so much for watchin. Good on you for getting your certs and stuff. A degree definitely doesn't hurt, and WGU is the best in terms of speed and cost :) (in my opinion!)

[@lulubayou1897]

Love this video. Wonderful experience!

[@JoshMadakor]

Thanks so much! And hi again 👋

[@cappies8312]

Thanks for the content, Josh! I really enjoyed the journey you are taking us on through this video!

[@JoshMadakor]

Aw thanks so much, and np :)

[@AnhTranD]

Why don't you have more subscribers. Keep up the great content !

[@JoshMadakor]

Thanks, will do! I really appreciate it :)

[@crm75c]

Interesting video Josh. I to went with the flow and ended up in management after a long career as Unix/Linux admin jack of all trades. Looking to get back to deep technical work studying for AWS and security. Appreciate your study and career insights.

[@JoshMadakor]

Hey, thanks for watching. It's very interesting how that happens. Somehow wind up in management, feeling bad about it rofl

[@crm75c]

@@JoshMadakor ya should of kept moving companies instead of climbing the ladder in the same one for to long!

[@carole3877]

Great video...I appreciate your transparency. Let's us know its ok to change jobs and explore new opportunities

[@jeffu3248]

Wow Josh! Heck of a story and very inspirational 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@gilgilbert5866]

Great Video Josh! A very unique video that I thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you!

[@JoshMadakor]

Dang glad you enjoyed it. It's really, really long looking back, haha. Thanks so much for watching 😄

[@Ghostman80]

I think its about who you know when it comes to getting any job, including IT. Having certs and experience helps.

[@JoshMadakor]

Yes! It's a wide spectrum of many things that you must care about. check out this spreadsheet: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GyjDVLNzRYtXHcI-Dp26SA3CGv2Wtc6qgEuG9s9oCD8/copy 12 pillars: Consistency Job Application Execution Self Presentation Written Communication Resume Quality Portfolio Quality Experience Social Network **(who you know)** Interview Skill Technical Ability Certification "Education" Thanks so much for watching/commenting!1

[@elleniberhe3549]

You should try radio, you have a nice voice. Seriously though we appreciate you sharing your journey and what you learned.

[@stopwatchingstupidvideos3592]

Great video and great insight! Really appreciate your willingness to try new work. Thank you for making professional content

[@JoshMadakor]

My pleasure! thanks for watching and taking the time to comment :)

[@stopwatchingstupidvideos3592]

@@JoshMadakor im starting wgu on first!

[@yadiq.9331]

What a great insight, I’m thinking about switching careers. Trying to figure out where to start. Thanks so much for this video, very informative!

[@JoshMadakor]

No problem, super glad it was helpful. Best of luck in your career switch. If you enjoy tech, you can potentially make some decent coins without too much time spent.

[@conniebarrick8265]

You, should, there is plenty of room.

[@NostalgiaVibes420]

Glad I found your channel! Listening to your journey was very inspiring! 👍

[@kentaryu2012]

Cool journey. I really like content like this. I wanted to get into cybersecurity too so this kinda give me an overview. 😁

[@JoshMadakor]

Glad it helped :D

[@theoriginaljaxx2407]

Lol! I love how you make sure to tell about the snacks at each job!

[@jayo7596]

That's quite an interesting journey you've had in several different positions. Thank you for sharing some of the pros and cons of each position and environment. I come from a clinical healthcare and medical sales background and found your channel while looking at WGU's IT Programs. I look forward to watching more of your videos.

[@JoshMadakor]

Thanks so much for watchin! I just now started recording again and I'll be posting pretty soon, hopefully by the end of the month :). Best of luck with your program search!

[@dj_trevino07]

Dude! We are getting started with intune at my job(local ISD). Its very nice but it needs much dedication which, right now, its just us tech IIs doing it 😅.

[@JoshMadakor]

That's pretty cool! It's good job security. There are soooo many Intune jobs out there and some of them pay pretty well 😂. My wife just got her phone accidentally locked and wiped by her company's Intune cuz it made her change her pin and she forgot it, then face I'd stopped working. That sucked lol 😢

[@dj_trevino07]

@@JoshMadakor We had a similar issue with student & staff personal devices. We enabled bitlocker so... yeah.... lots of angry people lol

[@JoshMadakor]

BitLocker was the bane of my existence a couple years ago lol..

[@dj_trevino07]

@@JoshMadakor 😂 I feel ya

[@edwardjaycocks5497]

I’ve been working in IT and still do for the last 12 years everything from infrastructure to cyber security blue teaming of course.... but at the end of the day I enjoyed it but was never a passion the only reason why I did it was because originally many years ago I was told I wasn’t clever enough to do computer science so I did something else for quite some years then I decided I would do a computer science degree a brick and mortar university in the UK which was pretty good however the reality was not what I expected maybe in some ways. Did a couple of Cisco Certs along the way ccna.... Cisco security bachelors degree and an associate degree in network security mostly Cisco-based which was actually excellent to be fair however in the workplace I found it sometimes interesting but in the end it was a bit of a burnout job for me anyway some people will love it but I would suggest people think very carefully before getting into IT.There’s many other decent career options available. That’s all I have to say.

[@JoshMadakor]

Agree with all of that, especially think hard before getting into IT. I can definitely relate that it was never really a "passion" of mine either. I don't suspect I will ever really feel passionate about it, unless I'm teaching it to someone else, or perhaps using IT for something really altruistic like anti-terrorism or something lol.

[@flightman12]

Stumbled into your channel. Love it. You got a subcriber here. Thx for the content.

[@JoshMadakor]

Awesome, thank you so much for watching and subbing!

[@alekshernandez2]

Excellent Video Josh. Thanks so much for sharing your professional life.

[@davidmaiolo]

Really enjoying this content brother.

[@JoshMadakor]

Thanks man :) much appreciated

[@sylvesterhurt447]

Found my new online mentor.

[@JoshMadakor]

Lol thanks chief!

[@robroberto5220]

Josh, do you have any experience with Cloud computing? If not I would recommend trying it out next. Also how do you negotiate your salary? It seems like it should be much higher (160 -190)

[@JoshMadakor]

Hey Rob! Yeah I have a _BUNCH_ of cloud experience, mostly Azure in the dev/sec realm. I think you're totally right and if I want to a proper private company I could get a total comp of 200+. I negotiate pretty conservatively, but NO MORE! I'm going to make a video on this topic pretty soon.

[@cravenmoorehead5657]

Josh is straight hitting and quitting these jobs like a sigma male

[@JoshMadakor]

lmfao, this is hilarious. I seriously can't stay at a job for too long. I already feel like quitting my current one but I'll stick it out for a while. Don't tell anyone, haha

[@cravenmoorehead5657]

@@JoshMadakor It’s all good I just started my career in IT as an IT auditor at 65K. I worked there for nine months and I quit for a senior security analyst role for 85k+10%. I felt bad I was leaving before my year was up and I found your video and now I don’t feel so bad after all because you are the king of hitting and quitting it. Inflation is a MF, what do they expect?

[@Edrianium]

Hey Josh @joshmadakor great video! I’m kind of in the beginning part of your IT journey. I was a student computer lab employee making 10-12k a year, graduated with my bachelor and was offered a full time position a year ago, now I’m making 67k as with the title of IT specialist at the same university. I’m trying to learn as much still, I started my masters in MIS and working on comptia certs. I want to make more and that usually means moving to the private sectors but Im scared to leave the amazing benefits, pto, holiday off, and job security. If you had to do it all over again, would you have stayed at your second job working at the school?

[@aseel8901]

You should make a podcast

[@JoshMadakor]

Haha thank you. I've definitely thought about it before. I might do that one day TBH

[@Ephesians2-8KJV]

Love the meat and potatos of your content. 😋 I’m here because I am constantly contemplating whether to stay enlisted in the Army as an IT Specialist, commissioning (not appealing), or getting out after my 6 year contract expires and get a civilian job. Currently I have an associates in IT and Sec+ and also about to start WGUs BA in cybersecurity program. I don’t want to stay in but after doing job research, I fear that I will struggle to find employment that pays better (after bills, most of which I do not pay now). I also agree with you about “going with the wind” as I have no clue which path I would actually enjoy most, if any. I guess my question is, do you think getting a degree in cybersecurity and all the certs it comes with is irrelevant to my current job experience, therefore kind of separating the qualifications as far as getting employed post-service?

[@JoshMadakor]

Hey Brennon! I appreciate you watching, glad you like the content! _>do you think getting a degree in cybersecurity and all the certs it comes with is irrelevant to my current job experience_ I don't think it's irrelevant at all--tech experience is tech experience and cyber security is intertwined with IT; I think it will help you in one way or another. I'm not sure how much time you have left exactly, but if your school is being paid for already and you can't "go anywhere" in the mean time, I think your plan is really worth considering and it can only help. Also, bear in mind, when you get out, there are a lot of civilian jobs which require a clearance and will probably pay a decent amount. One of them being Amazon, another being Microsoft. For example, check the top job (Support Engineer): www.amazon.jobs/en/search?base_query=security+clearance&loc_query= Best of luck, I feel like you're in a really decent position with your experience, certs, and clearance :)

[@Ephesians2-8KJV]

Thank you thank you. I realized you already have other videos that pretty much cover it but I appreciate the personalized response!

[@VinnyVentures]

This is funny. Love this video I want to get into this stuff!

[@JoshMadakor]

Haha, glad you found it entertaining! :P

[@RealEstateWithPearl]

You are brutally honest and hilarious 😂 🙌🏾

[@JoshMadakor]

Lmao, thanks so much, appreciate you watching :>

[@nicoleenesse]

This is great! I too have a lot of job-hopping. What camera do you use?

[@JoshMadakor]

Hey, thanks for watching! Glad to know I'm not the only master job hopper lol. I'm using the Sony a6600 with the 16-50mm kit lens! (amzn.to/33HVvSv)

[@nicoleenesse]

@@JoshMadakor Hahaha, yeah. Definitely relate to this video, and not liking what I'm doing...ever. I have taken a DoD Turkey, and have basically taken on the same philosophy of just "taking whatever work was offered to me". Am also working on my CISSP, and Master's at WGU in cybersecurity. Nice to find someone like minded!

[@JoshMadakor]

@@nicoleenesse We are like the same person lol, GL with the MS :D. I still have my coursework so LMK if I can help with anything :>

[@nicoleenesse]

@@JoshMadakor TY. I am on my capstone so almost done.

[@nicoleenesse]

@@JoshMadakor Oh, also where did you learn your video editing?? It is really good!

[@coolkidsrule1]

Appreciate your advice and honesty! Great vids!

[@RicondaRacing]

I'd like to see a USD inflation chart next to that graph

[@JoshMadakor]

Lmao, right? Hahaha, Turns out my salary has stayed the same for 15 years.

[@nexuz4258]

Very interesting video! I am planning to start in IT. I already started programming when i was 13 lol

[@JoshMadakor]

Good luck! What part of IT you wanna work in?

[@nexuz4258]

@@JoshMadakor Haven't done research, but i'd like to work in Cyber Sec

[@natebeaver6139]

What did I like about this job…..well they gave us fruit! I died laughing, love the videos and am trying to pursue a career in cyber security, your videos are very informative and I appreciate the effort you put in!

[@zmoo3788]

I currently have my CIS degree with about a years worth of IT support specialist under my belt. Im thinking of going into cyber security, I already do remediation scans for my company's network and resolve vulnerabilities/patches with tenable. Think ill be going for my net+ and sec+ and then landing some security analyst job or entry level position... not sure what other certs I should get.

[@JoshMadakor]

Hey, it sounds like you're well on your way into security...in fact, you're already doing it. Your title could already be something like, "Security Analyst Vulnerability Management" or something like this. I would definitely get Security+, maybe Network+ just for the knowledge if you don't already have it, then definitely start working toward CISSP. Check out this video when you get time, it kind of breaks down the pros and cons of CISSP and how it provides utility for your career: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ioDQgYSjeKupbM0 Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment :)

[@Frissdas1207]

I've been in IT for 8 years, I only have 2 certs. The mcp and the a+ and make 80k/yr. Do you think a degree would be worth anything at this point in my career?

[@JoshMadakor]

Hey! So sorry for the late response. I'm doing answers in video format, so check it out :) kzbin.infoog7uMEJuNYA Short answer, Yes I think it's worth it, with a few caveats!

[@BigDaddy4Real]

Great content! Thanks for the insight!

[@Arturosaavedra2222]

Hey Josh! So glad to have found your page. I'm also in Seattle and working on my BSCIA at WGU. I'm trying to get my first IT job after working Admin jobs for Nordstrom and Amazon and your page is super encouraging. It's been hard trying to get that first job while creating my own "experience" at WGU. I've enjoyed hearing your journey! --- And yes 5th & Jefferson is sketch. Best of luck to you at KC!

[@JoshMadakor]

Lmao, I'm glad some on here knows my 5th & Jefferson pain lol. And good for you working on the BSCIA, that degree is super appealing and has some great certs in it. Actually, one of my coworkers at KC has that degree, he seems to really know his stuff. Getting that first job is tough, but you'll definitely get there as long as you keep moving forward. Btw thanks for the kind words, I'm glad you like the channel :). Good luck to you too!

[@debbieartis9140]

Love this video ❤️

[@JoshMadakor]

Thank you Debbie :D

[@papigamer5777]

Hey bro encontré un método para traducir los subtítulos de ingles a español mediante la misma configuración de KZbin pero aun así gracias por responder mi comentario me interesa mucho el mundo de la ciberseguridad. Tienes un excelente contenido de calidad sigue así.

[@JoshMadakor]

¡Buen trabajo! Y muchas gracias por vernos. Gracias por comentar también. ¡Lo aprecio! ¡Buena suerte con la ciberseguridad!

[@tonyroland5010]

You’re a great speaker

[@JoshMadakor]

Thanks so much--I'm really trying hard to stop saying "like like like" so many times.. It's hard lol

[@harveylin3548]

2016-2020: junior software engineer: $60k-$72k, 2020-2022: devops engineer: $110k 2022-?: Devsecops Engineer: $150k+10% bonus. Graduated state college with a cyber sec degree in 2015, currently job is fully remote but is physically located in a MCOL area, so the actual number is even a bit higher.

[@elle-co4mf]

great content!! thanks for the tips!! the end of your video is really shocking it makes me laugh 😂😂😂

[@JoshMadakor]

Hahaha thanks so much, it's really rare that someone noticed the end 😂

[@dariuswoods3729]

Great video! What do you think about working in cyber security with the NSA?

[@JoshMadakor]

I think it's awesome and I'm actually thinking about attempting this in the future :o). H-how'd you know?

[@BruceLee-zj5jf]

I want to get into cyber security. I don't know where to start. I'm 32 gonna be 33. I wanna start now but I don't know where to go or start.

[@JoshMadakor]

Great question! It requires a really long answer. I could talk about this for a long time and write quite a bit, but I'll just paste an email here that I recently wrote. Hope that's OK! Thanks for watching btw. (See below) Are you still in college or something? I'm not 100% sure of your exact situation, but internships are not necessarily required to get into security. Depending on what you're doing, I might even try to just get some entry-level IT job for the time being and continue to work on developing your security "persona" and abilities. All of this becomes exponentially easier if you live near a metropolitan area where there are more jobs. If I had to start my career over from the beginning, I would probably do the following: Get A+ and Security+ and start working some help desk job somewhere that wasn't too busy. I would listen to the following podcasts (to help build my vernacular and mindset): DarkNet Diaries - Listen to ALL of these for inspiration and a general idea of what has taken place around the world in terms of cybersecurity The CyberWire Daily - Listen from today's date going forward to stay up to date on the latest security events in the world. CISO Podcast Series by Dr Eric - This guy has used car salesman vibes, but it will help you understand where business meets security and enable you to communicate well with management. While working the helpdesk job, I would try to study for and obtain CISSP (or Associate of ISC(2)). This Certification is boring and sucks, but it serves as a great HR filter. It's quite hard to pass and is expensive. I did over 4000 practice questions before I passed it, so don't take it lightly. After CISSP, I would start doing hackthebox to enhance my skills in general while applying for a new (security focused) job. (Don't forget to put hackthebox and other self-generated experience on your resume!) As for how to be more efficient and valuable to a company, if you can convey that you understand why security exists and is important (ultimately, to maximize profits for the business by minimizing loss), you'll show your value. There are a lot of other factors that make security professionals valuable, such as their ability to communicate with all levels of personnel within the organization (tech staff up to upper-management), as well as their ability to remain flexible and adaptable. Anyway, this is getting pretty long so I'll stop now, haha. Perhaps I'll make a video answer to this in the future. Thanks again for watching and writing to me! Have a great one! Josh

[@Neon2110]

Current in Cybersecurity and the higher you go up especially in management all you do is be in meetings and build decks most of the time.

[@SunnySingh-uq4ll]

Hey mate how are you ? Thank you for this video as it helped me put my mind to ease in terms of a good career within Cyber Security. I've just enrolled into a Bachelors degree in Cyber Security and currently trying to wrap my head around C program and Python as I have no literacy background in relation to any of that. Would you say I'd be able to get hold of those one day as it's kinda daunting when looking at those languages computers are built upon and all you've known is how to use everyday internet services and normal streaming. Cheers mate 👍

[@JoshMadakor]

Hey Sunny! good for you and congrats on enrolling in your new program! It's definitely possible to get a handle on them. Just start really simply and take your time as you progress. When I was first starting out with programming, I would find some really simple sample programs (maybe that do some easy math and print something to the screen), then just type them from scratch over and over again, running them at the end every time. For me, this kind of solidified my understanding of what was doing on. It's like, every time I typed it, I would understand a little bit more and a little bit more each time. I would also use the debugger a lot, so I could step through my code and see what was happening, live. C is definitely harder than Python, but they are both great languages to know. Just keep at it and try not to get frustrated and discouraged. If you think about it, the more you practice, it's not like you're going to get "worse and worse" every day. You'll definitely improve, but it's kind of hard to see progress sometimes. Just don't give up :) I could type more, but this is getting to be a wall of text lol. Anyway, best of luck, and thanks for watching!

[@SunnySingh-uq4ll]

Thanx Josh I really appreciate the advise mate. I hope I'll be able to accomplish a successful career within the field one day 🙂

[@Stoneface_]

@@SunnySingh-uq4ll any update?

[@SomeStuff9]

I am trying to break into Cyber after 15 years as a VOIP engineer. Not sure what is the best path. The company I work for suggests starting as a SOC Analyst working 3rd shift. I am willing to do that, but it is a large decrease in pay going from a Lead Engineer position to a LVL1 Analyst position.. Any thoughts on a better fit to make a transition over to Cybersec? Looking to start at about 100k. Still a bit of a pay cut, but closer to a lateral move. Any thoughts on another foot in the door for someone very experienced in IT, just not cybersec? I have Security+ cert, but nothing more currently.

[@JoshMadakor]

You have quite a bit of transferrable skills. I was kind of in the same boat as you. I had worked in IT but didn't want to take a fat pay cut. Before making the switch to Cyber, I ended up getting CISSP (I have a video on CISSP, check that out), Sec+, and studied fairly deep into the OSCP (but never took it). I listened to the cyberwire every day to get a sense for the industry, and then just started applying to Security jobs. You could supplement all of this with perhaps heading up, or contributing heavily to vulnerability remediation in your current job just to put some more security stuff on your resume. This response was kinda all over the place, but I hope it helps!

[@gointomars]

Such an informative video, Josh! Did any recruiter/potential employers question you on you switching jobs every couple of months?

[@JoshMadakor]

Not really haha. Well, one of them asked me in the interview when I was pressing them to ask me more questions. It was a govt position and their interviews are so canned, like they aren’t allowed to ask other questions, but I kinda gave her permission to ask me more, so she asked if I was planning to stay there long-term. I said yes because I WAS planning to stay there, but it sucked so I left after 8 months 😂😭

[@JoshMadakor]

Thank you by the way :)

[@gointomars]

@@JoshMadakor Awesome, thanks for your answer! I'm also a chronic job hopper, and is casually looking for a new role after 4 months at my current job. Unfortunately, I have less experience and expertise than you so I will definitely have harder luck finding another company to give me a chance. I'm working in Fraud in the banking industry atm and potentially looking to get into cyber security, so attempting to learn more in my spare time

[@7777tdwp]

Hey Josh, what answers did you give them when they ask about your past jobs and the fact that you did not work on a specific job for a long time? Looking for advice - I’m currently trying to finish my masters in cyber operations with University of Maryland GC - currently in the Army (Intel officer w/ TS clearance). I have the same feeling whenever you talked about what and why you quit your previous jobs….. but I’ve been feeling like it for years and I can’t just quit the Army that easily. I’m interested to be a penetration tester once I get out of the Army (in the next couple years). Do you recommend continuing with my masters or get as much certificates as I can or both? Thanks in advance

[@JoshMadakor]

Hey Raul, I always tell the truth at a high level. If they want me to go deeper I did. I just had an interview recently with Avanade, where I had previously worked for 5-6 months. I told them the managers I had at the time abused my time and I gave my interviewer both the manager's names, lol. It's possible I won't get hired...who knows! But I'm always honest. _>but I’ve been feeling like it for years and I can’t just quit the Army that easily._ This is really tough and sounds like a nearly impossible situation for me. I've thought about this a lot actually...how I would go about surviving a job that I hated if I HAD to stay. There are some things I would probably implement, like trying to make my day as enjoyable as possible (delicious coffee, decent food, etc.) I might try to help keep me mental health afloat through fitness and proper diet, and I would probably do occasional therapy. It's quite hard for me to stay somewhere I hate, but I think I could make it happen if I didn't have a choice. _>I’m interested to be a penetration tester once I get out of the Army (in the next couple years). Do you recommend continuing with my masters or get as much certificates as I can or both?_ You definitely don't need a Master's to be a pentester and you'd be better served getting certs and practicing with CTFs and stuff. That being said, if you are well into your Master's I'm not necessarily recommending you to quit or anything. It's good to have it on your resume and not have to worry about it in the future. I might just do little things on the side to kind of ease your way into pentesting once you finish. You sound super squared away and are going to be successful regardless--it's only a matter of time and effort, and you are already putting in both. Best of luck!

[@RicondaRacing]

That's funny, you started your IT career when I ended mine, I'm trying to get back into it now....lol

[@JoshMadakor]

Nice :P. I was considering doing Navy Nuke, but I b'd out lol

[@PunjabiKush]

In Redmond, WA cool man I live not too far from there 👍

[@JoshMadakor]

Hey hey! I'm super, super close to you haha. It's a great place, but rent is getting bad lol :(

[@smutrazor6309]

hey josh love your video, I'm doing a boot camp for cyber security. is there any advice you'd share that I should study more to better my skills in blue team analyst ? or even stuff to practice that would be beneficial for the future. currently I've been working on basics of cryptography/encoding/decoding before we hit the portion of red team > blue team > job hunt.

[@JoshMadakor]

Gosh, take this with a grain of salt, but just studying for the OSCP made me much better and aware of how to properly defend. You might want to study for OSCP or EJPT or TCM's Pen testing cert, I forget what it's called. But learning how to attack well will make you a much better defender! It also looks alright on your resume and will give you some hands-on skills. Hope this helps! Good luck with your bootcamp and job hunt :)

[@A.M.1.]

taking a job in the country you want to explore, visit, live in, meet the people (japan) has backfired for many man people.. i guess just take a 3 week vacation one time in the year and just have all your days to do what you want.

[@JoshMadakor]

#True. This is a great idea to be honest. Me and my friends are going out of the country in a couple months to do just that. Work/live in a different environment for a while :)

[@harveylin3548]

@@JoshMadakor Lmao you quit your job again lol, you should work as a contractor forever!

[@C6TTiX]

Josh, thank you for your insightful commentary on your employment journey. I am on a personal journey to transition into the IT world, and I can say that there is quite a bit of conflicting information out there. You have provided me with much clarity, and your work so far is some of the best on KZbin! I'm definitely looking forward to your future videos!

[@JoshMadakor]

Hey Man, thank you so much, it's much appreciated, seriously! I made a video recently that really breaks down a good way to break into IT, it might be useful :). The audio is kinda bad in it so I'll probably remake it someday, but it's there :). Thanks again

[@C6TTiX]

@@JoshMadakor Watching this now! Absolute gold and to the point! You don't know how much I appreciate your candor, Josh. I'm glad that I'm finding this early in my career. You are definitely a KZbin star in the making!!

[@JoshMadakor]

@@C6TTiX You are too kind! I hope to improve :)

[@NA-rl5fu]

Thanks this video helped a lot and gave me nsights.

[@JoshMadakor]

Glad it helped :), that's my goal haha

[@personalaccount4360]

Haha weeb. Thanks for inspiring me to go to WGU. I just started my first class for the IT Bachelor's and Master's. I'm excited.

[@JoshMadakor]

Lol thanks for watching, and NP. best of luck with the program, I'm excited for you

[@hongtrinh5569]

That was a lot. Lol Thank you for your telling us your experiences.

[@JoshMadakor]

Super long I know haha, but thanks for watching :) Hopefully my current job will be the last conventional _job_ that I have :p

[@jgonzalez29651]

Thanks for sharing, I actually have an interview today that I really feel under qualified for. It’s for an ACAS admin job any suggestions will be appreciated. Thank you

[@nikki5368]

Great video !

[@JoshMadakor]

Thanks again Nikki lol. :D

[@Keyumiz]

Do employers look down on people who job hop a lot? I've heard it's more acceptable in early career?

[@JoshMadakor]

Some people care, some people don't. Recruiters ESPECIALLY don't care (from my experience anyway). Even more so if the field is in demand. This is just my experience and remember I live in a big tech hub (Seattle!).

[@jacetwardowski9558]

@@JoshMadakor When you work do you have to be active at certain times of the day? Or just get your projects done by the deadline? I’m interested in becoming a digital nomad and am trying to find degrees that are remote and would allow me to work at most times of the day. Would cybersecurity allow me too do that?

[@trideez3768]

Hey Josh! Enjoyed this video, watched it through and through. Your journey was insane lol I’m currently a truck driver and make about $90k/yr. Want to get into this industry but scared that if I do the pay will be low when I start and I’ll be discouraged to continue. Advice? Keep dropping the videos 💪

[@JoshMadakor]

Hey Tri, thanks for watching--I'm workin on some new content now, haha. I think you should be able to get FAIRLY close to 90. Getting your first job at 70k wouldn't be a huge stretch if you were near one of the metro cities. Either way, IT and tech in general tends to scale better in terms of pay if you are aggressive about your salary. So maybe think of it that way and sacrifice 6mo to a year of lower pay. Then if you are diligent about it, it's possible to up your salary fairly quickly by getting certs/job hopping, etc. I'm using a lot of hand-wavy words here, sorry haha.

[@trideez3768]

@@JoshMadakor great advice!!! I’m more than ok with the 12-18month sacrifice of lower pay to get into the industry. I’m in Los Angeles and followed your advice as to which route to start off with. I’ll start posting my journey and maybe you can do a review. I’ll be in Seattle this summer to visit my family. Would love to be able to shake your hand. Are you doing any meet and greets any time soon?

[@McLeanCromer]

Super dope video. I am going to use it to tell my wife, "See....when you are in IT....sometimes you gotta quit to get ahead. LOL" Got a new subscriber from me.

[@JoshMadakor]

Hahaha, good. Well it IS kind of true lol. Thanks for watching and thanks for the sub!

[@clarity8296]

Great video. Not sure if you covered it, but how old are you bro?

[@JoshMadakor]

Haha thanks, I was born in Oct 84, so I'm 36 right now. In that interview video with Shane Hummus, I acidentally said I was 37 lmao. Recently I've been thinking, "omg I'm going it be 37", so it slipped out

[@yamayama6083]

Hi Josh. I'm really considering cyber security. would you say that most of the learning will happen on the job? I don't think schools or bootcamps will teach us how to do the work. Do companies provide training for new hires?

[@JoshMadakor]

Hey Yama, companies usually provide really job-specific training, especially when your salary starts getting into the 100ks. I've noticed when hiring for cyber, the companies will kind of expect some base of knowledge and will expect you to operate and minimal instruction. If you are lucky, there will be someone smart on the team already, but a lot of the time, your boss doesn't know exactly how to do what they want to get done. They have a high-level idea and kind of expect you to figure it out. This has been my experience. I imagine if you join as a jr soc analyst in a large company like F5 networks or something, the experience will probably be different and there will be more training, but there is still an expected knowledge base. This is why doing projects and learning as much as you can on your own is so important.

[@ezrielortiz3530]

I actually have no experience in information technology and have been wanting to make a career change to IT, security side of things. Any advice on where to start? Thanks in advance.

[@JoshMadakor]

Hey Ezriel, thanks for watching! I'd recomending watching these videos if you haven't already How to get a job in IT: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6XLnKp4fr-jnpY How to make your own experience for your resume: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5LWeYOHZbt1hcU About CISSP: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ioDQgYSjeKupbM0 Basically, follow the first two videos and do what you can to get into IT. Once you are in IT/helpdesk, consider working on CISSP and Security-related projects while simultaneously applying to security roles. Projects and stuff will give you an edge in the hiring/interview process. Best of luck!

[@d5dd]

I just found your channel and have been binge watching. How has it been with changing jobs with your age. Im currently 42 and work in Law Enforcement and it's taking a toll on body and family. Although it pays well I'd rather be doing something in cybersecurity. I am currently working on my Sec+ and trying to teach myself api hacking. Yet with my current job it's been hard with the mandatory overtime(16-20hours a day). Would you recommend I do a help desk position to break in to tech. What are the study methods you use when busy? What's a good way to put myself out there with minimal tech experience?

[@JoshMadakor]

Hey! thanks for watching. I'm not 100% sure how your financial situation is, but if you can quit and get a decent help desk job (maybe pay will be less than current), you can kind of get a bit of experience and free up some time and energy to allow you to study more. I actually recorded a video this morning about someone asking a similar question. I haven't even edited the video yet, but you can see the raw here: drive.google.com/file/d/1fNChd3NfoLTNcP841XaF27rqwRsVHw7f/view?usp=sharing Job hopping has been good for me. I tend to go hard at work and try to deliver and learn as much as I can. I normally work contracts vs FTE. I don't really like working FTE since I feel like there is more responsibility and less cash :). Just me though!

[@GenoStar07]

I enjoyed your 40 min movie haha !

[@JoshMadakor]

Lmao sorry. Accidentally published a motion picture of my life onto KZbin 😂. Thanks for watching it :)

[@DallasFort1857]

Thanks! I'm just starting IT as I EAS from the Marines... What's a better combo 1) CCNA W/ CCNP Or 2) CEH W/CySA+ Or 3) CySA W/ Splunk? The goal is to work from home and having a little trouble determining which certs I should do?

[@larisaaviles5136]

What do you think of the Fullstack boot camp cyber security program?

[@JoshMadakor]

Hey Larisa! I guess it depends on which program and how much it costs. It also really depends on the instructors/material too. It's really easy to "miss" in any of these areas, and that will make the program _not very good_. If the program accelerates your learning and understanding of security industry and gives you some kind of "experience" working in some aspect of cyber, then it might be worth it, depending on the cost. Sorry if this is a wish-washy kind of answer. If you have a program in mind, I can look at it and try to give a better answer :) Hope this helps p.s. if you make a new comment, it will be much easier for me to notice, but I'll try to watch out either way!

[@papigamer5777]

Puedes agregar subtítulos en español please .

[@JoshMadakor]

¿Cómo lo hago? Por favor envíame un correo electrónico :(

[@Hazetheassassin]

i finish my cyber security course back in november 2021 and im still jobless sending applications everywhere maybe it dry for now i dont know

[@JoshMadakor]

Hey Mono! Check out these videos, I think they will help! How to get into cyber from zero (checklist): kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2mWcoZ9o8SJldU How I would apply to jobs as a new person: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5Ckqnt4qbZgi5o How to find entry-level remote jobs (INDEED): kzbin.info/www/bejne/bnOcoYN3Z9qlorM How to find entry-level remote jobs (LINKEDIN): kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZywhZ2kjdt6isk Best of luck. Also, strongly consider applying for normal IT jobs as well along-side cyber jobs. It's much easier to get into cyber when you've been in IT for a while. It's also good to start working and getting experience as soon as possible :)

[@G4luc]

do companies hire personnel without a green card for cybersecurity roles? most of them want citizenship with security clearance innit?

[@JoshMadakor]

Not everyone wants a clearance--it really depends on the job I guess. Some companies will sponsor H1B and similar visas (Microsoft is famous for this, lol), but I don't really have a lot of experience in that area. My job required some kind of CJIS clearance or something, but the employer provided it to me. Hope this helps 😢

[@conniebarrick8265]

But, I saw an Ex-con, get a cyber-sec. position years ago, he served 7yrs for assault on his girlfriend, but he got hired. He had everything, money, houses, cars, girlfriends. Did not need money. He did excellent at his job, in fact, he said, it was fun!!!!. Until he mess up with another con for stealing SS. No's. stealing. Now, he serving a life sentence. But, he got hired, don't give up.