Starting cybersecurity from total scratch this week

[Psyberbaby]

I'm late 30s and after a decade working in a specific artistic field, I'm jumping ship before AI pushes me.

This week I'll be starting a government funded cybersecurity boot camp. Not sure why I'm posting really 😅 Feeling nervous and already out of my depth... Worried this won't actually be a good career change for me... Scared I'll find it either boring or impossible to get to grips with...

But giving it a try!

What's the course you're doing?
I hope you enjoy it and if not, nothing ventured nothing gained

Good for you! It sure is going to be an excellent skill set for the future.

How long is the course, is it full time?

Sounds exciting - what's involved in a boot camp?

Hi all, first week done, it was less intimidating than I expected and actually quite fun! It's two full days a week until February, here's a link if anyone's interested. At the end you get a NFEC cert which I don't think is all that valuable, you also get a guaranteed job interview. I think it's a good intro that you can then build on with more "prestigious" qualifications. Only thing that makes me a bit nervous is looking at junior roles, they actually ask for what I consider to be shit loads of experience and qualifications (begs the question...why would anyone be bothering to apply for junior roles if they have what you're asking for?).
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/find-a-skills-bootcamp

That's quite a chunky time commitment, are you fitting it around work?

Glad it's fun, that's a promising sign! Does the course include any interview prep?

Luckily I'm self employed so I'm working on weekends to make up for the 2 days which isn't fun. But it's a short period of time so worth it IMO. Not sure whether there will be interview prep, good question, I will ask my tutor next week!

Hi @Psyberbaby how is the course going?

I work in performing arts and I really want to leave the industry.
Having such a wobble and no idea what to do.

I can just about switch a computer on so not sure I’d be able to manage your course 😅

Same @Cricketbelle ! I can’t quite drop the idea of doing one of these courses, or commit given my humanities/arts backgrounds and assuming I’ll really struggle. Interested in any updates

Me too. I work in performing arts and it’s like I’ve only just woken up to the fact I need to get into an industry where I can earn more - but I have no idea!

Hello all! I'm more than half way through now. Its going well and I love my tutor and coursemates. Even the ones with zero knowledge of tech seem to be getting on okay. The good thing is this course is either a pass or a fail and it's quite hard to fail. Personally I'm using it as a way of bolstering my CV when applying for jobs in a field that is connected to cyber security but not pure cyber security. The thing I'm struggling with is we now have the theoretical knowledge, but just how well equipped are we to put this into practice in a work setting? I have no idea. It would have been good to have more hands on practice in virtual simulation settings, but let's not forget that these are government courses provided for free.
At the end of the course as I say we will have a guaranteed job interview which frankly sounds terrifying, as as I say, not sure how confident we will all be in our skills in a hands on environment. But let's see, I will of course report back!
Whatever happens and whatever role you go on to do, I'm pretty sure that a cyber security cert can only be a good thing from an employers perspective in this day and age.

BTW you might find this interesting:
https://codefirstgirls.com/

I too am staring an AI takeover in the face and have been considering this sort of course so it's good to hear you're finding it helpful.

I also wondered about real-world application after the training though, especially I'm 15 years older than you though - what's the age range of participants? I'd be really interested to know if it leads to a viable career change for someone as old as me.

Age range stretches from early 20s to early 60s!

This is encouraging!

Thanks for the update @Psyberbaby

I’m 47 and feeling oldish to retrain so that’s encouraging about the age range.

I agree the interview sounds daunting. I’ve never had an interview in my life 🤣 (audition only in my line of work)

Hello, plonking myself here so that I'll see any updates. I'm considering a career change (from admin in the construction industry) and wondering what on earth I can do instead. Going to investigate this.

@Psyberbaby how are you getting on?

I've been looking at boot camps but I've seen bad reviews of some training providers - would you recommend yours?

I'm doing a Code First Girls MOOC to dip my toes in the water and I'm really enjoying it. Have applied for one of their 8 week kickstarters, but there's a long waiting list (6 months or thereabouts). I'm interested in the data analyst pathway as those skills could be useful in a range of roles, and I have some experience (back in the mists of time though). Just wondering whether to take the plunge with a boot camp or continue with moocs while I wait for a kickstarter place 🤔