Hey, I just started learning CompTia A+ (helpdesk certification) out of the book by Mike Meyers from amazon.

So, I am studying A+ (helpdesk) at moment trying to get certified. And hopefully land a Help desk job. Then I plan on getting more certifications in: Networking, and then Cybersecurity.

Anyone get any of these certs? I heard you can go from Help desk> networking > cybersecurity > sys admin. And the pay starts getting good at cybersecurity like 60+ dollars.

How good are these certifications? Please advise

The network+, linux+, Security+, CySA+, and Pentest+ are all useful certs.

A+ is a good start.

Yes, you can go from help desk to network, cybersecurity, or sys admin.

These certs are a really good start to get into these industries.

Taking a job as help desk for 6 to 12 months is a very good way to get into a security role. It's how a lot of people do it.

A few other certs to look at are OSCP and/or PJPT, or eJPT if you want to do pentests, and BTL1 is you want to do SOC or detections.


https://certifications.tcm-sec.com/pjpt/ - intro level

https://security.ine.com/certifications/ejpt-certification/ - intro level

https://www.offsec.com/courses/pen-200/ - difficult, don't start here.

https://www.securityblue.team/why-btl1/ - intro level

I'm in a rush or I'd add more information. Feel free to ask questions and I can answer them when I get back.

*edit*

tryhackme is a great site. They have learning paths that only cost 15$ per month for full access. I've learned a lot from this site. Start with the easy learning paths. They'll teach you a lot.



This post was edited by x_h on Apr 24 2024 05:37am

Agreed.

Honestly, they may be considered entry level certifications, but they still hold value. Personally, I am A+, network+, security+, cloud+, project+, itil v4 foundations (good cert), lpi Linux essentials, and HDI support center team lead certified. All those show you are able to do IT professionally at a high level.

Also, I would consider maybe looking at Jason Dion or Professor Messer for some of the other comptia certifications as well as A+.

A+ is a great start. That's all I needed to land a Help Desk job but times have changed a bit. It heavily depends on the area but entry to mid level IT sector is kind of going through a rough patch so you may need to network for an opening. My area is having trouble with people saying they have the CompTIA Trifecta(with no professional experience) that are struggling to land any jobs even in entry level Help Desk, but I didn't ask how their interview skills were. Just remember presenting yourself professionally and showing you have an open mind to learning will go a long way in interviews since most if not all are customer service focused

This post was edited by MrSK on Apr 24 2024 01:27pm

yeah thanks for the resources. I think imma try to get to get to cybersecurity for pentesting, but do everything else PC wise.

if you look around your local community colleges, sometimes they offer a class/classes where an instructor teaches the material and you get a voucher for taking the certification exam at class completion. usually the class is pretty cheap / cheaper than the exam cost itself. I did the sec+ course at my local community college for 3 months and did the exam a few weeks before the voucher expired and passed =D. I was also doing A+ at the same time, but it was kind of too wordy imo. ended up completing the Google IT Support certification instead. Another tip is to google nonprofits and etc in your area to see if they do programs (cheap/free) to ready locals for the tech industry. i was able to do the Google IT Support course for free.

I highly recommend using resources like tryhackme (start here, oh it was already mentioned) and hackthebox (more intermediate and harder, also more expensive) to get more hands on simulation like experience. find out if you like red / blue team or something in between. blue team is a lot easier to get into and more stable (from what i heard)

it doesn't hurt to learn some python + go + javascript + things related to web development since most of the attack surface of the world is a device connected to the internet
i recommend freecodecamp + geekforgeeks + reading documentation and just coding on your own
also check out your local library to see if they have elearning resources. mine has udemy business for free as long as I am actively using it.

best of luck!

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edit

oh I just read your reply about pentesting (my bad was skimming the thread). highly recommend making your own lab or get started in learning linux and running 2+ virtual machines and use one to practing attacking/reconnaissance on your OWN devices (remember you need written consent or it is illegal)
netacad is also a good resource for starting out, it's run by cisco and free (there's ton of free stuff there)

This post was edited by d2r_hi on Jun 9 2024 11:59pm

Dont waste your time studying anything other than Professor Messer. Look up his site, all his videos are free, notes are free, and he walks you section by section for comp tia and any other cert. They literally use his content for all the certifications.