Welcome @Zagros Saeedi to our growing cyber community, great to have you with us, please check out the Guide documents section for all templates, calendar is where you will find our live Q&A sessions. Please share and chat with the group and i will help and answer any questions you might have

Hi, I’m Anita from the West Midlands in the UK. I’m 43 and currently transitioning from customer service into cybersecurity, with the goal of breaking into Identity and Access Management (IAM). I was fortunate to find a college where I can study and sit many CompTIA certifications for free. When I explained that I want to move into IAM, they recommended that I start with CompTIA A+, then move on to Network+ and Security+, especially because I’m coming from a non-technical background. I’ve started studying A+, and I understand the reasoning behind it, but I’m increasingly questioning whether completing the full certification is really the best use of my time for the direction I want to take. A lot of the material seems only loosely related to IAM, and I’m wondering whether it would be more effective to focus on Network+ and Security+, while also building a strong practical IAM portfolio. My aim would be to use those certifications, practical projects, and my transferable skills from customer service to start applying directly for entry-level IAM or security roles. From a hiring / career perspective, do you think A+ is genuinely necessary for someone in my position, or would my time be better spent focusing on Network+, Security+, and hands-on IAM projects instead? I’m not trying to avoid the fundamentals. I’m just trying to make sure I’m investing my time and brain energy in the fundamentals that matter most for the career path I actually want.

Hi all, I'm Meldon recent Computer Security and Forensics BSc (Hons) grad from Greenwich (NCSC certified, CREST affiliated course), with about 2+ years of IT Support Analyst experience at KidZania London. I've applied to a good number of cybersecurity and IT help desk roles, SOC Analyst, Security Analyst, IT Service Desk and keep getting rejected, even for roles where I feel like a genuinely strong fit on paper. I'm not sure where the gap is whether it's the CV itself, how I'm positioning my experience, missing certs, or something else entirely. Would really value a second pair of eyes on my CV and any pointers on what might be holding me back. Happy to share the CV here or however works best. Thanks in advance!

Welcome @Obrien Francis to our growing Cyber community, couple points for you get familiar, please check out Guide documents section where you will find skills matrixes for different career paths as well as CV and Github templates, check out the calendar for our weekly live Q&A call, should you require any further help, do not hesitate to post message in the general discussion