Nope. No. It is not.
This is not to say that I was assuming the work to get where I wanted to be was going to be easy, but that I was unprepared or didn’t understand the vastness that is information security. And boy is it huge!
Initially, as I was looking at what subplan in the program to apply to, I was looking for longevity and transferability; something where my current skills as an assistant manager in retail could be used and I could make a lasting career with. I thought programming would be a great choice because I always like being hands-on when it comes to learning. Unfortunately I didn’t have the right credits to be in that subplan, so I decided to hop to cybersecurity—surely this would work just as well?
Welll…it wasn’t what I was quite expecting.
And this is not the tone of disappointment, just something I would have to figure out how to make it what I wanted; and besides, just because it wasn’t programming, didn’t mean I couldn’t learn it on my own time. So I continued taking classes, passing them, but then kept wondering to myself: When am I gonna do something? I don’t feel like I’m applying myself or the knowledge I’ve gained so far! And then I had to remind myself that this is not programming and that my core courses focused much more on theory and management.*
Turns out, you can do a lot in this area.
What did I do next? I started looking at jobs in information security; job titles and descriptions. I started looking into what a system administrator did, looked up an information security analyst’s typical tasks, etc. There were so many positions that scratched the itch I was wanting to get out of my courses and I was so happy! I didn’t have to lock the concepts I was learning to just management; I could include it, but I didn’t need to make it the defining feature in what I was searching for. In thinking this way, I was able to make the “hands-on” part that I so earnestly wanted to do part of something I can pursue.
And this was one of the ways I waded through the vastness of information security and how I narrowed down what I wanted out of my college courses. Easy? Nope! It definitely took some time as I worked through my courses and did my own research, but it was a happy discovery that made my learning that much more enjoyable. But after that? It got much more smoother because I have something to work towards and tailor my goals as such.
*A note: While my classes focused on theory, tools used in the industry were also mentioned in brief and great detail to my enjoyment. This opened my interests into other areas of information security. Another day; another post.
Kay: Learning Security in Technology 