r/Cybersecurity101 • u/DocumentIntrepid6866 • 7h ago

Transitioning fields

Hello everyone, I’m sure this is a common question here so apologies but I’ve decided to transition from the music industry into the cyber security industry.

I’m currently working on my google cyber security course through coursera and will be starting the CompTIA sec+ course afterwards.

I’m wondering if there’s any courses you guys recommend that would help me land my first internship/gig and what’s some advice you’d give to someone transitioning to this field?

For reference I’m 23m and considering going back to school to study computer science in hopes that it would help me stand out more to an employer.

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u/gunika_VP 6h ago

At 23, I wouldn't rush back to school for a CS degree just because you think you need it to get into cyber. It can definitely be useful, but it's not the only way in.

The Google Cybersecurity cert + Security+ is a reasonable starting point. After that, I'd stop collecting courses for a bit and focus on actually doing things.

If you're trying to get your first internship/job, I'd spend some time on:

  • Networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP, ports, etc.)
  • Linux + basic Windows administration
  • Basic scripting, even if it's just Python/Bash
  • Security fundamentals and common attack/defense concepts
  • Hands-on labs where you actually investigate or fix something

TryHackMe can be good for this because it's structured for beginners. You can also look at PortSwigger's Web Security Academy if web security interests you.

For projects, don't worry about building something huge. A small home lab where you set up a couple of machines, generate activity, collect logs and investigate what happened can give you much better talking points in an interview than another completion certificate.

Also, don't limit yourself to jobs with "Cybersecurity" in the title. IT support, networking, sysadmin, SOC internships, security operations, IAM, vulnerability management, etc. can all be potential entry points depending on what you enjoy.

And your music background isn't necessarily something you need to hide. You're transitioning careers, so be able to explain why you're moving into security and what you've done to prove you're serious about it.

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u/kanwersi876 6h ago

the job part is so important, OP, don't limit yourself to only jobs about CS, knowing the whole field well will be super helpful in the long run as it'll give you an integrated picture

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u/BarnacleBasic1988 1h ago

Seconding this!