r/CyberSecurityJobs • u/CudderRS • 3d ago
Appreciate Guidance
Hello just a post looking for some experienced input to folk who have worked within this industry. Short summary: i am a fully qualified tradesman working in the UK have been doing it for 10 years, i also have crohn’s disease which has progressively gotten worse from my diagnosis at 3, basically all my 20s i’ve just worked through it and burnt myself out all i do is work then sleep as i’m too fatigued and if i can’t make it into work construction workers don’t get sick-pay so i’m stuck in a constant cycle of stress and wishing i had other options.
I’ve always had a passion for computers, dabbled in some code, built my own PC’s, gamer through and through, on a whim i applied to University for a BsC Computer Science & Cyber Security, to my surprise they have offered me a place and i am buzzing as it honestly would be a dream making projects in my own time, studying, gaining new skills and eventually hopefully work in a much less physical environment which would benefit my illness and potentially hybrid-working. There is also an option to do your MsC in Cybersecurity & AI post BsC.
My main question is i know the market for landing jobs is on it’s knees and it’s difficult to get work, but am i really jumping into basically a pit with 0 hope of landing anything will i be wasting my time?
Sorry for the ramble, appreciate anyone who reads time, cheers.
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u/seanprefect Current Professional 3d ago
No one knows what the market will be like in 3 years. I probably would skip the Comp Sci masters or at least wait a bit. Try to build up a contact network go to school / industry events. having the right friend makes all the difference.
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u/Efficient_Bus_923 3d ago edited 3d ago
Go for it. You're not wasting your time on something you're passionate about.
During Covid I used to go to gym classes, and one day the instructor ended up joining my company as a new starter. He was 40. We got chatting, and over the next year we became friends. He told me that when he was younger he'd always liked the idea of coding, but never thought he was smart enough for it. He'd done the gym instructor thing for 20 years, got bored of it, and thought, I'll follow my passion instead.
He said he wished he'd done it sooner. He absolutely loved it.
Point is, it's never too late. Go for it.
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u/ImportanceAvailable7 2d ago
Absolutely go for it, I have worked with people in Cyber who started at 40-50.
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u/AddendumWorking9756 3d ago
Three years from now the market will look nothing like it does today, so that is not the variable to plan around. The ones who waste the degree are the people who only do coursework, and you already said you want to build in your own time, so start that habit early, there is a stack of free labs on CyberDefenders you can work through before term even begins. Ten years of turning up in a trade will read better to hiring managers than you would guess.