Thomas Nadeau ⋅ San Antonio, TX U.S. Air Force, Master Sergeant ⋅ 22 years served

Reginald,

Have you looked in the San Antonio, Austin and Houston Areas? These locations are taking off in the IT sector and the highlight of attacks in the media will need IT security personnel to support their operations.I think that the listing of certifications above are good to have but these are turning to be an abundance of individuals that have them as a baseline. Look into recent pushes to get Cyber Legislation like CIPSA and CISA that have been either stalled or been heavily modified in the Senate. With the republicans having control of both the house and Senate I am sure Cyber is going to be looked at again. Getting aware of the upcoming laws will help differentiate you from other candidates with similar certs. It will also show that you are focused on leading the pack instead of following the herd. Something you may want to look at that isn't widely known is the security field is an SAP certification. They offer a program for Vets that will get you a cert for free, including the test fees, and potential placement (http://www.sap.com/ms/veterans-to-work.html). SAP focuses on enterprises and this may help when you look at companies that size. Syracuse University (http://vets.syr.edu/education/employment-programs/) has a great Veterans Certification program that would be worth checking into if you haven't already.

In the Gov sector, one of the biggest things that will help you is an active Clearance, the higher the better. If you do not have an active TS/SCI and desire a Gov position you could look at USAJOBS; I found this position that you might be interested in (https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/382394400) and they would sponsor an investigation but the competition is stiff for those that have them so that is a tough road to travel but it may pan out in the end.

For other options that may not be as obvious is the energy (The GETI Alliance may be a good way to get energy companies to look at your skills; http://www.geticareers.com/, their site focuses on field work skills but getting your information in the system may help you get seen by those in that sector for IT Security) and public Utilities sectors. The power grid is going to get looked at hard in the upcoming years since we are, in Texas at least, growing faster than the system can support. Most of the technology in that areas are outdated (in some cases systems that can be dated as far back as early 90's) and inefficient. With the full implementation of IPv6 and a large number of people connecting their houses to the network this area is going to be one of the next exploitation sectors that no one has mentioned.

With the holidays coming up it may be a good time to look into department stores and their Point Of Sale terminals, After last years Target fiasco and the impact that attack hammered their 4th quarter sales and cost people their jobs. I think that this is going to get looked at this year so the company can answer to their investors if an attack happens.

I know this is allot to digest in a small amount of time; but, it may pan out in the end for a long term plan instead of the solution that most IT security candidates follow now.Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Tom Nadeau

George Wilhelmsen ⋅ Rochelle, IL Sargent & Lundy ⋅ 38 years experience

Good morning Reginald,

The above companies are a great place to start. Also consider the Electric Utilities in your area and the country. Each of the utilities has been driven by NERC and FERC, as well as the US NRC, to provide electronic "frontiers" to keep those that would try to attack our cyber infrastructure away from the plants. Nuclear plants are governed by NRC regulation, and as a previous Cyber Security team lead, we are looking for people with your skills on a regular basis.

Companies to specifically check include Exelon, Omaha Public Power District, Nebraska Public Power District, Arizona Public Service, Duke Energy, Entergy, FPL, and just about any electric utility.

Getting the CISSP will just make you a stronger candidate for any of these jobs.

The really great thing about utilities (in particular, the larger fleets like Exelon, Duke, Entergy, FPL) is the chance to move around in the various divisions, or take on leadership roles. Please consider these companies in your search. We generally list positions on Monster.

Get out there and apply! -George

Kelly Williams ⋅ Newark, DE Stars to Stripes Military Transition Assistance ⋅ 10 years experience

Mr. Jackson,

You may want to checkout the following companies:

http://www.restart.events/
www.techexpousa.com
www.transitioncareers.com

We hold partnerships with each of the above companies. These companies host IT focused career fairs. You can submit your resume online for any event that you are interested in -- you do not have to physically attend.

Additionally, we provide free resume critiques to all military service members. You can submit your resume to us via email or by using our secure online submission form:

Email: Info@ExpertResumeSolutions.com
Form: http://www.tinyurl.com/ERS-Critique

Please allow 3 business days for completion. Feel free to also connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kellywilliamsmaresca/

Thank you for your service. We are here to help!

Warmest Regards,

Kelly Williams
Resume Strategist & President
Expert Resume Solutions
Business: (732) 686-6455
www.ExpertResumeSolutions.com

Jeff Shoemaker ⋅ Lake In The Hills, IL Colorado Technical University ⋅ 20 years experience

Reginald,
You didn't say if you have experience in security. Either way I would investigate technology security or information assurance companies such as Whitehat, checkpoint, etc. They will probably have entry level or development programs. Also consider companies that provide related services PCI and compliance

Huet Sampson ⋅ Philadelphia, PA IBM ⋅ 21 years experience

Reginald,
Thank you for your service. Being a vet, I understand how difficult it may seem making the transition to civilian life and employment. However, its not as hard as you may think. Your IT skills have value and security is a vast and "in demand" field. My company is always interested in quality people. Go to this link and search in your area. There's a good chance you can find something.

http://www-03.ibm.com/employment/?lnk=fpl-care-usen

George Oestreich ⋅ Fort Lauderdale, FL First Service Residential ⋅ 40 years experience

Check with Securitas, a national security company. The pay in south Florida, as one example, is not great, about $12/hour, but they have growth opportunities for individuals. Thank you for your service and best of success.

Lee Ivy ⋅ Sunnyvale, CA Hewlett Packard ⋅ 37 years experience

The other people have given some great suggestions. I would add that you should consider trying to get some of the well known certifications like CISSP and Ethical Hacker. Then a lot of opportunities would open up, like a Professional Services role in a vendor such as the HP Enteprise Security Products group where I work -- we have a number of customers in the federal/defense sector where you might be able to utilize your prior experience and contacts. If you're interested in following this path, feel free to connect with me on Linked-In or send me a resume. I hear there is a shortage of qualified people in the security field so it seems you are making a good career choice. Good luck!

Charles Fullwood ⋅ Clifton, VA AWS ⋅ 24 years experience

Hi Reginald.

Have you ever considered going into Technical Sales with an emphasis in Security? It is a growing marketing. I currently work at IBM and we typically have a number of Security positions open. If you are interested, please go to this link. http://ibm.referrals.selectminds.com/jobs/search/15377621

Thanks
Charles Fullwood

Pierre Millet ⋅ Phoenix, AZ National Collective Bureau Orgnization (ONBC) ⋅ 25 years experience

Hi, Jackson:
National Security at its best.
I read the another answers that all are right. For example Thomas said: <an active Clearance
the higher the better>. It's very important, because It's not the same world in the war on terrorism. Working with thousands of dedicated professionals our country are committed to protecting national security, and protecting the United States from terrorism, Intelligence professionals, foreign-language experts, scientist, computer specialists, and other specialty staff work in it day on day. You can be one of them.

Good Lock

In Spanish language: Buena suerte y adelante con tu correcta formacion academica, pues tienes una adecuada formacion para esa importante tarea de la Ciber-War protection.

Kevin Trosine ⋅ Oviedo, FL Verizon ⋅ 30 years experience

Hi Reginald,
Verizon also has an extensive, comprehensive security practice. In addition to the CISSP cert that you are working towards, the CCSK and CEH certs are relevant for today's security professionals. Cloud technologies are becoming commonplace for today's leading companies so those type of certs are also attractive since cloud and security go hand in hand.

Best regards,
Kevin

Cheryl Stith ⋅ Elk Grove, CA Comcast (last company) ⋅ 25 years experience

Hi Reginald,

You may also want to explore opportunities with companies like Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Intel, Instragram, etc. etc. Those companies have a vested interest in IT security.

Also, based on some of the recent new flashes I've seen, these organizations are not as diverse as they would like to be. You have the right education, once you secure the certification, I would connect via LinkedIn.

Look at a few of them, see which ones you like then reach out for informational interviews. It can't hurt. Good luck! Cheryl

Christopher Ahlberg ⋅ Holtsville, NY Recorded Future, Inc. ⋅ 15 years experience

Reginald - very happy to help out. I run a company in this space and could point you in lots of good directions. Happy to chat on phone if helpful. Ping me on c AT recordedfuture DOT com

Laura Burns ⋅ Waltham, MA Aon ⋅ 20 years experience

Many organizations have Veteran hiring programs. You may want to check out EMC Corporation (www.emc.com) and in particular the Veteran-specific area of the site (http://emc-veterans.jobs/). EMC is a great place to work, has excellent benefits, and supports our Military/Veterans.

Tom Cal, CFA ⋅ San Francisco, CA Army Veteran, Investment Manager ⋅ 25 years experience

Reginald Jackson , If I choose to mentor you, do you commit to: respecting the time of your mentors and advisors, providing feedback and status updates, answering our questions, completing suggested tasks and as needed asking follow up questions?