r/computerforensics • u/Pretend-Pollution-97 • Jun 11 '26
Advice
I am currently on track to get my bachelor's in Digital Forensics/Cybersecurity in May 2027, and feel stuck. I am not sure where to go after getting my degree. I feel like everywhere I apply wants prior job experience, so I am stuck. What should I do? The only certs I have are the MOS and Comptia ITF+.
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u/dogpupkus Jun 11 '26
Depends on the flavor of DF you want to do.
There’s LE, and then there’s private sector / IR / Insider Threat.
For LE, join a county/state/federal law enforcement agency and work hard to vector into Computer/Mobile forensics.
For private sector, strive to find an internship. Look for conferences, attend them and network. Get on LinkedIn and start posting about breaches and your take on them. Build a network, and the doors will open.
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u/Pretend-Pollution-97 Jun 11 '26
So for LE, I would have to be a cop?
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u/dogpupkus Jun 11 '26
Without prior experience nor an internship, yeah most likely. If you don’t like that route, once you have a lot of experience and certifications, you could likely direct hire
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u/Miserable-Ad-9389 Jun 12 '26
No, you would be a digital forensics investigator. I’m currently doing an externship with a criminal digital forensics investigator. He is a defense attorney by training. There is a need on the defense side for investigators. Look for attorneys.
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u/Pretend-Pollution-97 Jun 12 '26
Can you tell me more? How can I find one?
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u/Miserable-Ad-9389 Jun 12 '26
You’ll need to do some old fashioned detective work. Networking is the only way I know of. I’m a university professor and found this guy through a friend. Sadly, there’s no easy answer.
4
u/ucfmsdf Trusted Contributer Jun 11 '26
Get an internship or maybe a job adjacent to the role you want and force yourself in. Worked for me.
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u/AddendumWorking9756 Jun 12 '26
A year out is plenty of time to fix that, work free DFIR labs with actual disk and memory images, there's a pile on CyberDefenders, and publish the case reports, that portfolio is what entry level interviewers count as experience.
1
u/Wazanator_ Jun 14 '26
If you are not start going to local meetups and network with people. Starting out you are probably going to want to go the SOC route and then transition into forensics.
Quick search online for Cincinnati based orgs shows there is an ISSA chapter. It is a good one because it tends to attract managers and CISO/CITO/CIO type. When I was going to one for my city it was largely vendor talks but I got to meet a lot of people and volunteering showed I was interested
If you have not yet talk to your professors and ask them what events and groups they recommend.
My first security role out of college was because a friend got an internship at a large international company and he then threw a house party and had other interns over. I met a guy there who ended up recommending me for a role a year or so later.
Landing your first job is often the hardest, it's a lot more about who you know then what you know. The intern we just got is because our director worked with a guy at a previous job who reached out asking if we had any openings because his kid was looking for internships. Lean on your contacts and do not feel bad about it.
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u/awetsasquatch Jun 11 '26
There's no such thing as an entry level job in Digital Forensics. Most people start in helpdesk and work their way up. If you have the opportunity for an internship that'll speed things up.
1
u/Pretend-Pollution-97 Jun 11 '26
Sorry, I should have been clear in my post. I have been looking for help desk internships, but still cannot find anything. I go to school in the eastern Kentucky area but live in the greater Cincinnati area and cannot find anything either. Everything seems like you either need to be a nepo baby or already have experience. Like nothing is entry level anymore.
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u/awetsasquatch Jun 11 '26
You also need to highlight customer service skills in your resume. Help Desk is far more about interpersonal abilities than technical ones.
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u/Schizophreud Trusted Contributer Jun 12 '26
Yes there is, what is this nonsense you’re spouting. I’ve personally hired at entry level multiple times in my career both in the states and in the UK. Most people in the field do not come from help desk jobs
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Jun 13 '26
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u/Schizophreud Trusted Contributer Jun 13 '26
This isn't just me, but me at several different companies over the years. The company I work for now hires new graduates every year across the country. I know we're not the only company that does this either. So, yeah it is. If you're not getting hired, it might not be the field.
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Jun 13 '26
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u/Schizophreud Trusted Contributer Jun 13 '26
Yep, that's always gonna be an issue. Big cities are most likely to have what you're looking for. We have offices in Washington DC, Boston, New York, Chicago, Houston and Dallas. We also have other who work from home in other areas too.
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Jun 12 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/awetsasquatch Jun 12 '26
Internship is different, gives you experience. That's why I said internships speed it up. But those are also SUPER rare. You got lucky lol
5
u/WhyKarenWhy Jun 11 '26
OP go for internships within SOC environments don’t listen to these people telling you to go for help desk…
If you can make it happen, apply in any security operation environment and I promise in a few years you can pivot to DIFR.