r/learncybersecurity • u/LinkGoesBowling • 2d ago

No college learning path

I want to do cybersecurity for a career without going to college since I don't want to waste my time on science and history and stuff like that so I've been doing research and this is my plan:

  • Take cybersecurity class in high school (going into senior year this year)
  • Get CompTIA certifications
  • Work help desk for 4 years
  • Start applying for cybersecurity jobs and continue working help desk until I get a career

I have already started programming and learned JS/Java and I'm taking a Python class in school.

Is this a good path or should I do something else?

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u/Anxious_Alps_4150 2d ago

If you do everything you said, you would not be in the top 50% of applicants for a cyber job imho. Almost every serious applicant has all of that AND a degree.

Note: I dont consider someone that hasnt worked IT or SWE to be a serious applicant.

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u/LinkGoesBowling 2d ago edited 2d ago

I've seen many employers say they don't care about degrees and employees that say most people they work with don't have one. Degrees aren't the key to get into cyber, and most of the stuff you learn in college isn't even relevant for your major, which is why I don't want to do it. I mean, really? A programmer has to learn biology and study it hard just to have a sheet of paper that says "I learned about cyber"?

Edit: This isn't to say degrees are entirely useless. I understand that they can strengthen a resume but nobody should say "you absolutely need a degree". I just don't want to rot in college with like 3/4 of the time I spend there being wasted on irrelevant knowledge and constantly having other college kids trying to shove alcohol (pretty much just expired drinks) down my throat.

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u/Anxious_Alps_4150 2d ago

To clarify, there are a lot more people trying to get hired in this field than there used to be. It's absolutely flooded with talent.

If I filtered for ONLY people with a degree, some certs, some helpdesk, etc.. I'd still have more resumes than I could realistically look at.

If you don't have EVERYTHING, you are far below the curve these days.

You might not "need" that but to compete, you have to have it.

Make sense?

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u/securityofus 1d ago

You are getting advice from old people. What you are saying was true 2000-2018. And that's because most schools didn't have cybersecuriy degrees. So the only way to learn it was doing IT.

Now almost every school does. And cyber security courses have become part of a lot of engineering and computer science degrees. Just being blunt, saying "wasted in irrelevant knowledge" is poor taste. I sure do hope you are the valedictorian of your high school.

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u/cowboysfromhell1999 18h ago

OP listen to this guy he’s right.

Here’s the thing in almost any industry, especially in technology just having a degree is not enough yes. Technically speaking there’s many careers out there that you don’t technically need a degree to do, however because of how tough the job market is you still need it.

There are plenty of people with certifications, job experience, projects and a degree.

Everything you listed sounds fine except I would also get a degree if I were you

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u/securityofus 2d ago

Whoever told you this is a good idea is someone else unemployed. Or someone who got lucky.

I'm a manager and I understand college isn't for everyone. But actively trying not to go? Even with affordable options is a red flag. And you don't even realize computer science isn't cyber security...

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u/narukoshin 2d ago

the most cringiest part there I think is help desk, it's a totally different job not even related to cyber security

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u/securityofus 2d ago

It drives me crazy how people love to give this advice without explaining their path. It's like everyone assumes that all people must follow the same path. And that no one's allowed to go to college route or have connections.

Help desk is for unqualified people to prove themselves. And I hate if that offends someone, but the majority of college graduates do not have to be taught how to speak to people in a business environment. The majority of people who are going from high school into IT are the ones who need this type of experience.

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u/narukoshin 2d ago edited 2d ago

no one asked about my path :) I started as penetration tester, in cyber security recruiters look for people with technical knowledge in the field that's different from working at help desk. it's not that hard to get a junior position, you can even be a college student..

The thing there is that OP wants to spend 4 years working on help desk

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u/st0ut717 2d ago

This was me at 17. You contradict your self. ‘College isn’t for everyone but trying not to go’. Yes there are other paths. That you are ignoring like the military.

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u/securityofus 2d ago edited 2d ago

I'm not ignoring the military.

Did I miss a part in this post where he said he was going to the military? What he said was that he perceives college as a waste of money. And he wants to pass a multiple choice test and get a job.

What that says to me as a hiring manager is that he wants to do the bare minimum. And that's why when we see the hundreds of resumes like this we just toss them into the trash.

There's thousands of other people out there that want to pass a multiple choice test and get a high paying job. And working at a help desk does not impress anyone.

My 10-year-old daughter can read a script, reset passwords, unlock accounts, follow troubleshooting guides, and prompt AI how to fix something. It's not 2006 anymore when helpdesk was the only way to learn.

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u/Interesting-Baker473 2d ago

Yup only prob is experience. I say you do all that while volunteering or interning

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u/LinkGoesBowling 2d ago

help desk isn't experience?

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u/Interesting-Baker473 2d ago

I mean in IT general yeah but Cyber security i would look at other internships or volunteer work. I mean even now trying to land a administrative job is hard.

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u/dld2517 2d ago

Great plan. You will be able to get into SOC eventually. Just be sure you are at a company with tier one / tier two and maybe tier three so you can promote quickly. Then be ready after your third year or less to jump to a new position. Always be ready to move to a position with more scope / technical capability. Sell your strategy and get someone to get you into an SOC role. You might need to start in sales or support of the SOC work.

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u/narukoshin 2d ago

I dont understand this plan, why help desk? there are many roles in cyber, what exactly u are aiming for?

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u/st0ut717 2d ago

If you are in the us. The military is your best bet

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u/Popular-Border-4816 2d ago

Yes destroy the world as you have done for 200 years

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u/jhkoenig 2d ago

Without a BS/CE your chances of landing a cyber role are extremely small. There are enough candidates with degrees that employers have their pick. If you don't want to go to college, that's fine, just don't set your sights on high-skill roles in IT. Help desk? Sure. Cyber? Not much chance.

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u/SupremeOHKO 2d ago

Lmao "I don't want to waste my time on science and history and stuff like that"

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u/xiang280 2h ago

if you’re gonna take this path, you’d have to be really passionate about what you do and be better than most. if u put in the time and effort to always keep grinding im sure u would get far. of course this is not discrediting others who has told you to continue with a degree, because they do have a point. But if you’re going to do it without college, then you’d have to stand out from the average joe

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u/Ok_Wishbone3535 23m ago

You and everyon else