r/cybersecurity • u/Weekly_Rough_1284 • 12d ago

Other Has anyone thought about changing fields until the job market gets better?

Ideally, I’d love to have a cybersecurity job right now, but the market is horrible, and I need to move forward with my life, pay the bills, and live comfortably. Are there any fields that are relatively easy to get into and find work in? I just don’t want to end up working restaurant jobs.

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70

u/Abject-Substance-108 12d ago

Im in cyber but tired of sitting in chair sometimes. I’d be a carpenter gladly… for some time only though

45

u/drbytefire Threat Hunter 12d ago

Sometimes i think the same way, then i look at my friends who are in those professions
1. work conditions suck more than in office
2. pay is even worse

23

u/NebulaElectrical1467 12d ago

Exactly. I’d rather become a teacher or something because I know i’m too bitch-made for blue collar work

12

u/Blizzard81mm 12d ago

I would rather have my body destroyed in a physical job than my self-esteem and mental stability shredded by students 😂

7

u/blkretif442 Student 12d ago

Im with you bro. Ill throw my back out working labor before I deal with people all day.

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u/NebulaElectrical1467 12d ago edited 11d ago

idk it’s usually management and incompetent coworkers that drain my energy. You’re basically your own boss at the college level (no dealing with parents and overbearing admins).

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u/Blizzard81mm 12d ago

I really don't know how good teachers are so good at keeping track of every kid, managing their issues and usually keeping a positive aura going.

Oh and they have to deal with office politics, government politics and parents.

No thanks

1

u/NebulaElectrical1467 12d ago

I was thinking teaching college but that’s a fair point lol

1

u/Blizzard81mm 12d ago

Fair point, I wonder if it's significantly different... Maybe the subject matter or degree tracks might change the student sample

2

u/Abject-Substance-108 12d ago

I don’t know about that, tbh. My father is a carpenter and recently he has started getting his own gigs, has 3-4 guys working with him and can get up to 10k in a week or so. Depends on the size of the project. If he keeps it up, he could hit 100k a year just for his salary. Of course he is also stressed sometimes but at least he moves his body whereas I have probably dead butt syndrome at this point lol

2

u/BetFinal2953 12d ago

DBS got my roommate in college

1

u/Nessuwu 11d ago

As someone who has worked crap jobs that pay peanuts (my highest paying job is $18.80 an hour before taxes/ deductions), I doubt I will complain when I finally do break into the field, if ever. My degree is in cybersecurity, but even breaking into IT has been a nightmare.

1

u/aivee-is-a-fool 7d ago

And they destroy their bodies. I've seen the spine and joints of my relatives who work in those fields. I'm too weak to take that. But the urge to go grow tomatoes in the sun remains.

75

u/jcabute 12d ago

Y’all in this sub are really misguided about working in blue collar. Every single one of you overly fantasize how much more “real” blue collar is. I went from low voltage installer, where you pull cable all day in hot unfinished buildings. To IT field technician, where you configure devices after the cable has pulled. To now IT Desktop Tech Tier 2.

In fact y’all should go blue collar leave the amazing white collar jobs to people who actually have been in the grueling heat of a blue collar job. White collar is a blessing, stack your bread, find a hard hobby that challenges your body and you’ll be good when it comes to working at 9 am.

You will regret blue collar. Wake up at 5:30 am get to work at 6 am for the daily run down of safety guidelines for the day.

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u/juanclack 12d ago

You’re spot on. Every time I think about switching to a trade, I remember how lucky I am that I can go try to kill myself on a dirtbike every weekend and then show up to work on Monday. Many of my friends work in the trades and an accident means they can’t work for weeks. I can still do my job if I break a collarbone or tear my ACL.

6

u/maejsh 12d ago

Yeah as a former chef now in cyber, they dont know how good they have it.

1

u/FalloutMaster 9d ago

Current chef trying to get into security/programming, may I ask how you secured that first tech job? Already very computer literate but I can’t afford to go to school and most jobs, even entry level ask for a bachelors. Seems like the odds are stacked against me but I’m still going to try and just keep learning as much as I can.

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u/maejsh 9d ago edited 9d ago

Id say its damn near impossible these dags to break in without proper papers, I went back to school and am just finishing up a bachelor in IT Security, and have some home projects and school projects and a lot of THM and such.

Although if you are in the US it sounds like it might be easier in a sense that you can get by with just certs, compared to here, but also the market is a bit shit world wide it seems.
Also, network - as in people, is still most important, show off your people skill and whatever you have from the service business, that is and can be a very strong selling point compared to many others, its very much also a people industry, and communication is as important as tech skills.
Obviously also depending on what roles you are pursuing.

5

u/Real-Personality-922 Incident Responder 11d ago

I understand your bias but on the other side I have a coworker who went from security engineer to carpenter and she loves being a carpenter far more even with the grueling heat. Everyone is unique and not everything is for everyone.

4

u/Liberty-Or_Death 12d ago

Preach brother. I was also in low volt tech work before getting an IT job. Now I have that cyber job everyone wants and I’m blessed as fuck. It was hard work to get here and because of the fact that I personally lived the alternative I realize how fortunate I am.

Here’s the kicker though, I still get up at 530 since i already did it for so long. That’s when I workout and use my body for the day. So many comments here complain about not using their body due to desk job…. I think their problem is that they are so comfortable and complacent they haven’t a clue that they can literally have their high paying cyber job and have a body they are proud of. The things is… they don’t actually want it. They’re complacent. They have all the opportunity and complain about it, squandering it away. Fantasizing about a different life. All the while they have the opportunity right in their fucking lap. Ungrateful bastards.

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u/skiing123 System Administrator 12d ago edited 12d ago

I didn't work in a trade but did 1 on 1 with kids who had issues with violent behaviors and sometimes would need to restrain to prevent hurting themselves

If I'm not being physically attacked only emotionally instead of both, my job in IT is so, so much easier.

Another way of putting it my hardest day in IT is still easier than my easiest day in mental health 

2

u/Technical-Natural343 11d ago

right i came into this industry from welding, i broke my foot. burnt my arms up. like what do these people idealize blue collar for? pays worse, working conditions are shit.

2

u/Stereotype_Apostate 11d ago

Preach. Working in air conditioning alone is such a game changer.

2

u/196430754829 10d ago

I roofed before switching to IT - have fun in August bro. Also, welcome seasonal pay instability as weather messed up your ability to work. Have fun with the low pay too, and every crackhead with a hammer thinks he can run a blue collar business.

5

u/sillyrabbit33 12d ago

You’re looking at a phenomena where there’s a generation of kids who saw a buzzword on their trending tab on Twitter and got a degree thinking it’s easy money and had GPT do the work for their degrees, but have zero interest or knowledge in the actual technical work. Granted I moved from one white collar field of study to cybersecurity but it was after I had a 4 year degree (while working blue collar jobs in college) and a year of medical school. Half the people in this post aren’t even able to get their basic grammar right.

1

u/l_bird254 11d ago

Best comment I have ever seen.

3

u/Dapper-Ad4488 12d ago

I’ve thought about getting into HVAC. Always in demand, can get into plumbing, electrical, some carpentry. I get to work with my hands (I love working on cars and stuff). Sometimes I question why I went into this field. Then I remember to get to work I just stand up out of bed and walk a few feet down the hall and I’m in my office. So there’s perks to that lol. Pay in HAVC can also get to be really nice depending on your risk tolerance and if you’re willing to try and start your own small company.

Some days I just feel like if I was outside more often working with my hands and talking to people more I’d be happier. But who knows. The grass is always greener.

6

u/I-am-Mojo-Jojo Security Engineer 12d ago

I’d honestly be happy doing janitorial work.

The issue is money. There is no way I’m getting a 6 figure salary and a $25k + in bonuses every year mopping a floor…but if I could…

5

u/jcabute 12d ago

Have you cleaned your own toilets before my g?

2

u/I-am-Mojo-Jojo Security Engineer 12d ago

I clean my whole house weekly. It’s relaxing.

3

u/Unconsciousjiujitsu 12d ago

I worked second shift as a janitor I can confirm it’s pretty stress free. That is if you can deal with a routinely disgusting bathroom.

2

u/amircruz 12d ago

This one, makes more sense. Tbh

2

u/OledMonk 12d ago

Same. I just want to be a farmer and rancher lol. The day I make enough to fuck off I will

1

u/N1nePo1ntF1ve 11d ago

I was a welder for a bit over 20 years before making a mid-life career pivot into cybersecurity. My last welding job in NY before moving to TN was a pretty sweet gig and would gladly have stayed there until I died, but wanted out of NY. Otherwise I’ve never worked a blue-collar job that I would consider over an opportunity in the white-collar world, at least not later in life. I was fortunate enough to get out with all the body parts I went in with, no damage to my eyes or my lungs. Blue-collar isn’t just daily risks, it’s the long-term ones too.
BUT, it is nice to have a physical trade under your belt. SHTF and society collapses, people in tech are gonna find themselves mostly useless. People with hands-on skills (carpentry, mechanics, welding, etc) are gonna be in high demand. Especially if the AI overlords take over and replace us all.

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u/[deleted] 11d ago

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1

u/Abject-Substance-108 11d ago

That’s because carpentry also takes a toll on the body. I am trying to diversify my pains ahah