“That Help Desk course seriously got me a job.”
Getting your foot in the door.
This is the goal of many who are trying to ‘break into cyber’ and it can be a difficult process to get that first foothold, but once there, greater heights can be reached with persistence, learning, and some luck. The following story chronicles the journey of Adam Thompson, a TCM community member who wanted to start a career in cyber security, and what his path looked like.
We will take a look at how Adam discovered a passion for offensive security and developed his skills on the side with hands-on learning. Once he decided to go all in and began trying to get his foot in the door, he was able to obtain a help desk role with no professional IT experience and network into a security analyst position with a fatefully timed Beta test of the Practical Help Desk course… and some luck.
Let’s dive into Adam’s story.
If this is your dream, don’t give up. It’s going to be hard. It takes hours, days, months, sometimes years to get where you want to be, and you’ll never feel 100% ready. But just keep moving forward, keep learning, and do the best you can.
A Love for Technology from the Start
“Technology has always been my thing. I loved Nintendo and all the different gaming systems. We had them all. I’ve been a gamer from a young age, and as soon as we got our Commodore 64, I got hooked,” he recalls. “For those who remember those old computers, I quickly started looking up cheats for video games and finding blogs and forums to dive deeper.”
His interest in security started early in more of a hands-on, exploratory manner than in an academic way. “I’ve always had an interest in security, especially on the offensive side like trying to make things do what they’re not supposed to do, finding loopholes, bugs, and vulnerabilities.”
Despite his early fascination, cybersecurity wasn’t his first career move. After high school, he joined the military, serving for four years and then taking a few different jobs before realizing he wanted to get back into technology. “Eventually, I went back to school because I realized I needed a better education,” he explains. This decision led him to pursue a bachelor’s in Information Technology through Western Governors University (WGU), setting the stage for his cybersecurity journey.
First CTF Experience
It wasn’t until a random Capture the Flag (CTF) event that everything clicked. “I had never done a CTF before, and I thought, ‘This sounds kind of fun,’” he says. But diving into the competition proved to be an eye-opener.
“I signed up and quickly realized I was in over my head. Of all the warm-up questions, I only knew one. I thought, ‘Wow, I haven’t done any of this yet.’” But instead of feeling discouraged, he became obsessed. “I started at 5:00 in the afternoon, and by about 3:00 in the morning, I knew I had to stop. I had to go to bed so I could wake up and go to work the next day. But that experience really got me hooked.”
It was at that moment he knew that cybersecurity was the field he wanted to pursue.
Education and The Cyber Mentor
Formal education played a role in his journey, but he quickly learned that theory alone wouldn’t be enough. “I got involved with the cybersecurity club at WGU, attended some webinars, and participated in other activities. But like many things, you can go through a textbook and follow the steps, but I quickly realized that wasn’t going to be enough for IT and information security. I needed something more hands-on.”
This is when he stumbled across The Cyber Mentor (TCM) and Heath Adams. “I came across Heath’s YouTube videos on the Practical Ethical Hacker and his streaming content. I really enjoyed his videos and the way he taught. He presented material in a straightforward, common-sense way, which stood out to me. He came across as just another guy who had been through the same process and was sharing what worked best for him. That really resonated with me.”
Through TCM’s courses, he was able to build practical skills that gave him a real-world advantage. “The courses were broken into sections with hands-on requirements. You had to take notes, copy and paste commands, and really understand the syntax. It was a great learning experience.”
Adam has completed the PJPT the PNPT and the newly released PHDA certification, as well as the PCRP program and various courses.
Landing a Job with Practical Skills
One of the pivotal moments in his journey was participating in the Practical Help Desk (PHD) beta test, which played a direct role in securing his first job.
“So, I’m going through this Practical Help Desk course beta test, and I’m actually downloading and setting up a ticketing system, as well as different endpoints and hosts for an Active Directory system. I’m configuring permissions, creating users and passwords, and all this stuff you won’t find in any other course, which I thought was amazing—and it’s free, which is incredible.”
Just as he was completing the course, an old job application came back into play. “I literally had an interview for a help desk position that I had applied for months ago. When they finally reached out, the little ticket tasks from the PHD beta were almost identical to the questions they asked during the interview. I thought, ‘I already know this; it’s perfect!’”
Not only did he ace the interview, but they hired him on the spot. “Before I finished the phone call, they told me, ‘You’re the best applicant we’ve had so far. We’re going to move forward with this.’ In that respect, I think the applicability of these courses is incredibly important for day one on the job. In particular, that help desk course seriously got me a job before it had even come out of beta.”
From Help Desk to Security Analyst
His help desk role set the foundation for his next big move of getting his foot a little further in the door by becoming a cybersecurity analyst.
“I went from my help desk job directly into a cybersecurity analyst position through networking on LinkedIn,” he shares. But it wasn’t through aggressive job hunting, instead, it was through engagement and relationship-building. “Years ago, I made a connection with someone, not by reaching out for jobs, but by commenting on their posts. They commented on mine, and we talked about various topics, including degrees and other things, just building a relationship over time.”
That time spent networking with others in the community proved invaluable. “When a position opened up at their company, they reached out to me and said, ‘You were the first person who came to mind. Are you interested?’ I thought, ‘Yeah, let’s go for it,’ since it would be my first official cybersecurity role.”
“Now that I’ve gotten my obligatory help desk experience and a cybersecurity position under my belt, I hope to continue progressing (into offensive security). But yeah, you’ve got to get your foot in the door somehow.”
You can find Adam on LinkedIn.
Parting Advice from Adam
“Just don’t give up. I think the main takeaway from today’s story is that if I had given up years ago, when I was trying and trying to get into pentesting but couldn’t, I wouldn’t be here now. Instead of quitting and just settling for something else, I realized I had gaps in my knowledge that I needed to fill in to build a stronger foundation.
I knew I had to network better on LinkedIn, build relationships in the community, attend webinars, and stay involved. Not only did that help me feel more connected, but it also showed me that I wasn’t alone in struggling. Everyone goes through these challenges.
It’s a long journey, and you have to stick with it. If this is your dream, don’t give up. It’s going to be hard. It takes hours, days, months, sometimes years to get where you want to be, and you’ll never feel 100% ready. You’ll always have that self-doubt, that imposter syndrome. But just keep moving forward, keep learning, and do the best you can.”
The Power of Passion and Persistence
Breaking into cybersecurity isn’t easy. Networking proves time and time again to be the final piece in many stories, but training and determination still make up a good amount of the rest. Having a foundation of knowledge and hands-on skills allowed Adam to take advantage of the opportunities that finally came his way. We celebrate with Adam that his cyber career-snowball is really starting to roll!
We hope that this story was encouraging to those of you out there who are considering getting into the cyber security field, or have been off and on that path for a while like Adam. There is no magic bullet, but there are some commonalities among many who have found success: networking, experience, and persistence.
Learn More about TCM’s Practical Approach
TCM offers courses, including a free tier of fundamental classes like the Practical Help Desk course as well as certifications like the new Practical Help Desk Associate. We offer other certifications allowing you to develop and prove practical skills that can prepare you to handle job responsibilities day one. Check out the TCM Security Academy and our Certifications for more details.
About the Author: Josh Daniels
Josh is an avid storyteller and writer who loves learning about the behind-the-scenes of the digital world we live in. While his professional experience is in content marketing, Josh began pursuing a career in cybersecurity in 2022, gaining a Sec+ certificate along with other training from industry professionals and a life long learner attitude.
When he is not writing, Josh enjoys outdoor adventures with his family, watching movies, reading, and an unofficial (unpaid) side gig as a Game Master Consultant for several friends who play table top RPGs. At TCM, Josh has found a home where his passion for storytelling and cybersecurity meet.
“Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.”
– Frank Herbert
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