Have you ever been in a situation where your body is telling you that something is not right? The same happens with your job and even your career. When read and analyzed properly, there are signs that what we are doing is no longer what we need to do or where we need to be. When this happens, perhaps it is time to switch careers.

Is it frustrating? Daunting? Yes, it can be. For some, it can feel like taking a step back in their professional life, but it does not have to be. Think of it this way, every stage of your career opens the way to a more fulfilling life. Each step gives you a new opportunity to understand who you are, your goals, your main interests, the people you want to surround yourself with, your values, and your areas of opportunity (everyone has them). 

You are not alone. According to a recent study published by Fast Company, 52% of U.S. workers consider switching careers for 2021, and almost 45% have actual plans to make the leap. 

The fact that you are reading this article is one of the first signs that you are not comfortable with your job. But, you should pay close attention to hints, such as the ones we will describe.  

1- You Lost the Motivation to Go to Work 

All of us have had days where we just hit the snooze button over and over again, but if you have reached a point in your life where this is happening daily, perhaps it is time to snooze your daily routine and spend some time thinking about why this is happening. There are as many reasons as people, to name a few, that might help you: maybe the project you are working on is not challenging enough, perhaps you are not comfortable with your team, maybe your boss and you are not communicating well.  

2- You Don’t Like Your Daily Work 

Not enjoying the daily bulk of activities and finding them daunting are clear signs you need to switch careers. This can happen for several reasons: not being appreciated, facing a complete disconnection between what you thought you were going to do and what you are actually doing, feeling like you are not making an impact, doing tasks that are not challenging enough, etc. Take some time to analyze this situation, what you do not like, and what it takes to fix it. 

3- You Are Only There for the Money 

When you find yourself going to work just for the pay, my friend… you have a problem. Just sitting there watching the seconds go by, waiting for the clock to hit 5:00 pm to close your laptop and get out of there, counting the days for the weekend to arrive… All of these are clear signs that you need something else. Your body and mind are aching for more. Be careful; if this situation goes on and on for a long time, you can reach a point where not even your salary will be enough to make you get out of bed and ready to work.  

4- You Spend Hours Researching for Other Jobs 

Suddenly you find yourself “killing” those long hours of work by researching other jobs, what it takes to do them, thinking about how and why you chose your current career, and what would have happened if you had studied something different. You spend hours reading job offers in LinkedIn and Glassdoor and researching successful people and their professional background: how did they get to where they are now?  

5- Your Job Is Affecting Your Personal Life 

Permanent stress affects our lives in ways we do not even imagine: we become bitter, unhappy, we have physical symptoms, we lose sleep, we are exhausted. The worst part of this is that all these symptoms do not stay at work; they go home with us, the trouble our relationships with family, partners, and even our friends. Is it worth it? Do you want to live in a constant battle with your spouse or kids just because you are frustrated at work?  

6- You Lost the Passion That Got You There 

Think of the reasons that made you choose that career, that job, that organization. Why and how did you get there? Why are you unhappy/frustrated right now? Were you expecting to do something different? Have you been doing the same year after year?  

Once you have identified the signs that indicate it is time to switch careers, you need to start planning your next moves. Ask yourself the following questions:  

• Where do you want to go? 
• What does it take to get there? 
• What skills do you need to work on to be successful there?
• Who can guide you through this process?
• Where and how can you learn the must-have hard skills for this?
• How long will it take me to get there? 

Once you have answered them, start creating your plan to switch careers. Do not let the fear and uncertainty keep you from reaching your goals. It is never too late to start; you need the right mindset, disposition, and firm conviction that you will get to a place where you will be valued and rewarded with hard work and dedication. 

Higher education was supposed to be a simple choice: Even if you must borrow money, you’ll supposedly earn more with a degree, but that Return of Investment (ROI) is breaking down. As more students take out gigantic loans and struggle to find the right jobs, they ask: is a student loan worth it or not? 

The answer is: “it depends.” When considering your options, it helps to look at the big picture.  

Today, nearly 70 percent of American Bachelor graduates leave school with debt, and for those, the median balance is $26,500, which is repaid in the first decade of their career, when earnings are at their lowest. So, it is essential to strategically decide whether you should go to college and which program you choose. 

On the other hand, cybersecurity, as one of the fastest–growing tech fields, offers high salaries and low debts. Before the coronavirus pandemic hit in early 2020, there were approximately 500,000 cybersecurity job openings in the U.S, indicating a significant talent gap. 

Evaluating Student Loans  

Education is important. Over time, certifications are a good investment. The wiser you are about it, the more you can maximize your Return of Investment (ROI). Find a low-cost school and pick up specific skills that can boost your abilities. Start by looking at how much you’re likely to earn the first year in a job, then consider how many years you’ll have to work to pay off your student loan.  

A good rule of thumb is to avoid racking up more student loan debt than what you’d earn in your first year on the job. 

The following scenarios will illustrate what we are trying to explain: 

Scenario 1 – Pharmacy  

Growth in pharmacy school debt has accelerated dramatically in recent years. But it’s unusual for someone to graduate without taking on six figures of debt to finance their education.

Based on the 2018 national survey from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, most pharmacists will graduate with a school debt of around $50,000 to $250,000. And Pharmacists starting salaries, if they can get a job the first year, will be between $80,000 and $120,000, unless they do a residency with a much lower payment, which means that it will be difficult to pay the loan.

Scenario 2 – Dentistry  

The American Dental Education Association estimates that the average debt per Dental School graduate was $292,159 in 2019. Sixty-four percent of graduates report having over $200,000 in debt. Do the math.

Scenario 3 – Cybersecurity 

If you plan to pursue a cybersecurity career, pay ranges vary from $50,593 to $67,550 at entry-level. At CyberWarrior Academy, we are offering you a 6-month Cybersecurity Bootcamp from $19,500, with several funding options, and you will be able to pay for the entire bootcamp with your first year’s salary while enjoying the benefits of a rewarding career. 

That said, even if you take out a loan, you can reduce your costs by applying for any scholarships and grants available to you, and you can do a lot of this online, so you can easily shop around and keep your tuition costs low. 

Cybersecurity Pays the Debt 

Cybersecurity has two key logistical advantages for a strong career: Low to no unemployment and solid compensation.  

You don’t have to be an expert to know that Cybersecurity has become critical to any modern business, as more people are working from home and breaches are hitting the headlines. However, if you want to get a job in this field, consider that most schools are too theory-based. One of the reasons people struggle when coming out of University/College to get into the job market is that they lack work experience.

Most employers are not going to hire you solely based on the classes that you took. If the program you chose is not teaching you hands-on skills and allowing you to build a portfolio that you can show to an employer, you may struggle to break into Cybersecurity and end up with a large amount of debt and no job.

It’s critical to do your research on the school, examine the curriculum, get hands-on experience and pick a career that has a strong job market so you will be able to find work upon graduation easily – Cybersecurity is one of those fields.

Plus, if you choose this path, you’ll always have room to grow. You’ll continually be learning new skills and working to understand new technologies. New challenges will keep popping up, and you’ll be exposed to a multitude of new people, situations, and opportunities. 

It’s a common misconception that you must go to a four-year College or University to land a well-paying job. Getting cybersecurity certifications can earn you a higher salary than the one might get after putting in four years. What more could you ask for in a career? 

If you are looking for a career change to cybersecurity, please do not let the lack of coding knowledge keep you from reaching your dream. Even though it is a great asset to portray in your professional profile, it is not a requirement when you are just getting started.

Little is the entry-level roles that ask for coding knowledge. In fact, we can even say that those who require coding abilities are probably looking for the wrong profile.

At CyberWarrior Academy, we want to encourage you to learn to code but do it at a steady and calm rhythm. And if possible, try to keep this as one of your goals for your first years working in cybersecurity. This is one of those skills that will determine how far you will get in your career pathway. The more you develop it, the further and the more opportunities you will get. 

Areas in Cybersecurity that Require Coding 

So far, we have told you that coding will be very useful at some point in your career while necessary to enter the cybersecurity world. But how and where exactly?

• If you decide to work in penetration testing, coding will help you identify faulty codes and how to fix them. 
• For those who choose incident response as their specialty, coding will give you the necessary tools to investigate breaches, analyze malware, and reverse engineer attacks. Keep in mind that for you to be successful in this field, you need to learn to think like a hacker, to understand how they create attacks, and to be able to predict their next moves.  
• If you rather go with risk assessment, then coding will allow you to understand and successfully apply mitigation techniques. 
• If you choose any cybersecurity job with the word engineer or developer, then coding is a skill that will help you stand out and perform well at your job.  

I Want to Learn to Code: Where Should I Start?  

Now that it is clear what and why coding is important for those who want to become cybersecurity experts, we want to help you figure out how and where to start. The first thing you need to do is choose the language you want to specialize in.

Some programming languages are more famous than others: Java, JavaScript, HTML, C, C++, PHP, Scala, and Python.

Anyone who wants to have a career in cybersecurity must consider Python as their first option. Not because it is the one we teach our Bootcamp, but because it is the one with the design and functionality that will allow you to perform functions such as malware analysis, penetration testing, port scanning, decoding packets, and others. Python is easy to learn and implement, it requires minimal coding to accomplish the task you want to do, and there is an extensive library of modules where you can find cybersecurity tools. 

Once you have made up your mind about the language you want to deep dive into, the next step would be to choose a cybersecurity academy where you can learn from specialized instructors. Do not settle with free online videos. Go further with your education, and get your hands dirty.

We strongly recommend that you: 

1. Set goals: why do you want to learn Python? What do you want to build with it?
2. Spend some time, not too much, learning the basic syntax.
3. Start working on structured projects. The only way to really know if you understand coding is to practice it. There are many options for you: creating a website, a mobile app, making video games, data analysis, building robots, etc.
4. Work on your own projects. Starting from scratch on your own project gives you confidence and experience, even if it’s a little one. However, do not make the same mistake others have and use an “easy” language thinking that just because of that everything’s going to be faster and effortless because you can and will get frustrated very fast.
5. Be constantly learning and practicing. Python is evolving every day, to fully understand how it works you must stay on top of it.

When choosing which coding language you want to learn, make sure you check which cybersecurity areas each is used on the most. As we said earlier in this post, we suggest you start with Python, it will help you perform lots of different tasks while not being as hard to learn as many others languages. And more importantly, keep in mind that every skill you add to your résumé will help make it stand out in front of the eyes of recruiters.

To start a cybersecurity career, there are a few things you need to do: study, get hands-on experience, and get certified. For almost any job in this field, recruiters will look into your industry certifications. If they are non-existent, they will likely lose interest in your profile.

Adding certifications to your résumé demonstrates your level of commitment, will help you negotiate better salaries, and improve your overall cybersecurity career and professional health.

CompTIA Security+ is one of those must-have certifications described on their website as a way to validate “the baseline skills necessary to perform core security functions.” Beyond the theoretical questions, this test emphasizes hands-on practical skills to ensure candidates have the problem-solving skills required to assess, monitor, secure, operate, identify, analyze, and respond to security incidents and events. 

In other words, if you are looking to switch careers to cybersecurity, studying for the CompTIA Security+ test is one of the first things you need to do. 

We do not want to discourage you, but this exam is not easy to pass like any other professional certification. It would help if you took some time in your busy schedule to study and practice. And always keep in mind that hard work pays off. The benefits of adding this certification to your profile are larger than the time invested preparing for it.

To help you in this process, we gathered some tips that will help you earn the CompTIA  Security+ certification on your first attempt.  

Study Tips to Ace CompTIA Security+ 

1- Understand the CompTIA Security+ Exam Objectives 

Every certification test has its own goals and objectives to go through. When studying for the exam, make sure to have the list of domains measured and the extent to which they are represented.

Another great idea is to create a bullet list of what is included in each domain. That way, it will be easier to gather useful material for each area, schedule time to study each one, and identify the most challenging concepts for you (we highly recommend you start here and move to the easier ones). 

The Security+ domains include:  

• Threats, attacks, and vulnerabilities (21%)
• Technologies and tools (22%)
• Architecture and design (15%)
• Identity and access management (16%)
• Risk management (14%)
• Cryptography and KPI (12%) 

2- Create a Study Plan 

It is time to be completely honest about your work-life schedule, how many hours you have compromised at work, the time you want to spend with your spouse and kids, and any other activities. With that in mind and an estimated date to take the test, you will have a better sense of how many weeks are left to study and how much time you will need to dedicate to this daily.   

3- Get a Good Study Guide and Materials 

You should definitely start with CompTIA’s study resources and textbooks, but if you are someone more visual, then do not hesitate to look for video resources online. Many people have created memorable content that can make it easier for you to understand and remember what you study. 

4- Take Practice Tests 

They say excellence is a practice habit, and nothing can prove this right like a certification test. You will have a better chance of acing your first attempt if you previously took different practice tests. This will help you figure out which test-taking strategy fits you best and understand its length and complexity.  

5- Join an Online Security+ Training Bootcamp 

If you really want to get certified, our best advice is to let others with more experience and knowledge guide you through this road. A training bootcamp will help you understand theoretical concepts, apply them in real-life experiences, and let you get the hands-on experience to understand what security is all about fully.  

For most people, video games are all about having fun, while studying is quite the opposite. A Capture The Flag (CTF) competition is where the two worlds collide, and the result is fascinating: learn while playing. If video games make people invincible, why not solve real-world problems?

Behind the scenes: What is a CTF?

A CTF is a special kind of cybersecurity competition that allows participants – and teams – to test their skills through different challenges, including cryptography, programming, web hacking, and more. Players will have to be the heroes of this cyber world to get small rewards: the famous «flags.»

A “flag” is a code (e.g., flag {W3lc0m3_t0_CW_CTF}) that allows the platform to confirm that the competitors were able to solve the challenge. By capturing the flag, participants earn points depending on the test’s complexity or the time taken to solve it. If the test is difficult, they will get more points. Legends do not die, and in this case, each flag obtained is one more step towards greatness.

These competitions have a time limit to solve as many challenges as possible. Normally, 24/48 hours, although others last several days. The best hackers resist to the end.

Real-World Heroes

A CTF competition is an excellent place for those looking to start a cybersecurity career. These events are often watched and attended by recruiters and management hoping to spot talent.

Even if participants are not looking for a job, a CTF is one of the best ways to test your expertise inside a safe and collaborative environment, whether you are a student, an enthusiast, or a security guru. Aside from the technical development benefits, CTFs also offer participants an excellent opportunity to work on their soft skills, such as problem-solving, teamwork, adaptability, and time management.

Additionally, it gives players a chance to share knowledge and bond over common goals, experiences, and interests despite the competitive environment. In the end, the most important thing is to have fun!

Where to train?

These events’ popularity is increasing as interest in cybersecurity and ethical hacking rapidly enters the mainstream. CTFs have elevated to reach e-sport status, with several taking place in various formats each year worldwide. One of the training platforms to practice your skills as a hacker is CyberWarrior (CW) CTF.

About CyberWarrior CTF

Finding flags around the world is the mission that the hacker accepts when signing up on this platform, which is in open beta and available for free to everyone who wants to test it. Players can also send their opinion to the CW team.

Upon login, contestants will see the world map before their eyes, and the American continent will have 20 flags to gather (each flag adds several points to the score). From Canada to Argentina, competitors can see challenges that range from easy to complex. The winners have the most points at the end of the game.

Like many sporting events, prizes are awarded for first, second, and third place. Can you hear the mission calling?

How to Participate

Very easily! You only have to sign up on ctf.cyber3.cyberwarrior.com. CW offers trials in addition to the free challenges that are currently available. And don’t worry! First-timers should not overprepare or worry too much.

The next CTF is from April 7^th at 9 PM to 10^th at 11 PM EST. The link to this event will be sent exclusively to those registered on the platform before starting the event.

Our recommendation? If you want to take part in our CTF competition, register on time, check the challenges that are available for free and wait for the exclusive invitation to the CW CTF. Get ready – the hacking is fierce, and you’re the champion we are waiting for!

As a parent, you might be questioning whether to enroll your teenager or even younger kids in coding classes or if it is too much for someone their age. We understand why you have these doubts. Coding, to make it short, is creating instructions for computers using a determined language. So, can younger minds actually learn to do this without getting overwhelmed?

Short answer, YES. Our kids are growing in a world of rapid technological changes, and they need to develop the skills that will help them become successful professionals. Just remember to choose a coding program to learn to code in a fun and entertaining way. 

Why Should Teens Learn to Code? 

Letting your kids have the experience of going to coding classes will give them a set of skills that represent a competitive advantage when applying to colleges, internships, and jobs. Coders are one of the most in-demand profiles nowadays. Even if they don’t want to become professionals in this area, learning to code will help them become better at so many things that it was hard for us to summarize in just 7 reasons why you need to enroll them in classes as soon as possible.  

1- Coding Stimulates Creativity 

Being able to learn and use a different language allows your teenager to create new things, especially if that language opens the doors to an unlimited world of possibilities.  From now on, instead of sitting around in front of a video game, they will have the tools necessary to create one, or they can try their best to create their dream website or mobile app.  

2- It Builds Problem Solving Skills 

As they learn to code and give directions that the computer must follow, they will develop and improve their capability to take complex problems and break them down into smaller and more manageable pieces. They also learn that there is not only one way to solve things and try different paths when facing a problem. 

3- It Strengthens Academic Skills 

Coding will help your child understand subjects such as algebra, geometry, physics, trigonometry, and calculus in a more fun and practical way than just sitting in a classroom listening to a teacher. It will also help them with reading and spelling as they will need to carefully type each code line, so the computer understands the instructions they are giving. One small mistake will make their instructions fail.  

4- Coding Helps Improve Concentration 

As we said earlier, coding requires your teenager‘s full attention. Creating a coding concept and executing it without errors,  will truly let them understand what personal satisfaction is all about. The habit of being 100% focused on the task they are working on will gradually reach every aspect of their lives.  

5- It Boosts Perseverance and Patience 

Learning to code is a challenge they must be willing to succeed at. At first, they will face many problems and mistakes, and it can be very frustrating. But, as they say, “practice makes perfect.” Anyone who has gone through learning to code understands the satisfaction of persisting until achieving the stated objective.  

6- Coding Makes Your Teenager’s Profile Stand From the Rest 

Someone who learns to code has the advantage of more job opportunities in their future, even in roles that are not related to technology. Think about it for a moment, someone who codes is someone with a skillset anyone would love to have in their team: they are focused, patient, with problem-solving skills, creative, and understand how computers work and how to make them follow an instruction. Someone who codes portraits themselves as a better candidate than someone who does not.  

7- It is Fun 

If you think your teenager will spend hours in front of a computer to make it say “Hello, [first name]” you are wrong. Nowadays, coding classes are made fun, entertaining, and based on the most popular video games and younger minds’ interests. At CyberWarrior Academy, we help them create their own video games. Just imagine the satisfaction it will give your son/daughter to play a game they created!