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Transitioning Advice for Logistics Service Member Transfering to IT

Veteran

Jonathan Capellansosa Apo, AE

I have served for nearly 20 years in Army Logistics, also serving as a Platoon Sergeant and Drill Sergeant throughout my careers. I will be transitioning in 17 months and relocate to Tampa, FL. I am currently working on my BS on Computer Network and Cybersecurity. What credentials would any of you recommend to transition from logistics to IT? I have not closed the door on staying in my current field is an opportunity becomes available, but I feel focusing my efforts on IT will be more beneficial in the long run. Is there anybody in the Tampa area that can offer advice on how to proceed?

1 March 2021 11 replies Career Exploration

Answers

Advisor

Deb Yeagle Tampa, FL

Updated Answer:
I found this domain map on-line and thought it might be helpful in connecting your experience to cybersecurity domains: https://i.redd.it/t0kzgnyb0w0z.jpg

Jonathan-
Thanks for your service! I think the other answers that relate your supply chain experience to cybersecurity are spot on and timely. The DoD is requiring Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) for its contractors this year. Part of CMMC is monitoring the supply chain. If you haven't already become familiar with CMMC, then you might want to check into it, because there will be a lot of job opportunities associated with compliance and auditing for DoD (and other federal agency) contractors.
Good luck!
Deb

Advisor

Todd Cloutier Woburn, MA

Hey Jonathan,

I work in Cyber at Raytheon Technologies. If you are interested in employment at the organization then please message me and I can assist you by getting you an internal referral. Additionally, I highly recommend getting certifications such as CompTIA Security+ or CISSP if you want to work in the cybersecurity field.

Best,
Todd Cloutier

Advisor

T D Dayton, OH

Do you like software development at all? Have you wanted to learn more about it? That industry is HOT.

There are a lot of really good coding bootcamps out there and most all of them will accept your Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits. They aren't easy, but they're great resources to get ramped up in that side of the IT realm, and the starting salaries are pretty good. You can sometimes get a Scrum certification paid for out of some of them too (of course you'll have to pass the exam). Some of the coding bootcamps have really good hiring partners too.

Your background can help out a lot when it comes to developing software architecture.

I was just tossing that thought out there in case you never considered that side of things! Best of luck to you!

Advisor

Ashutosh Mehta Edison, NJ

Hi Jonathan, Thank you for your services!

Information Security is absolutely great place to be. I believe you will able to get high level of clearance which will open opportunities for Federal projects/employment. While Security is good place, I would suggest utilizing your experience in Supply Chain industry with Security combination. You can explore more about the topic. Read this to start with https://www.ibm.com/blogs/supply-chain/what-is-supply-chain-security/.

Good luck!

Ashutosh Mehta

Advisor

Ashutosh Mehta Edison, NJ

Hi Jonathan, Thank you for your services!

Information Security is absolutely great place to be. I believe you will able to get high level of clearance which will open opportunities for Federal projects/employment. While Security is good place, I would suggest utilizing your experience in Supply Chain industry with Security combination. You can explore more about the topic. Read this to start with https://www.ibm.com/blogs/supply-chain/what-is-supply-chain-security/.

Good luck!

Ashutosh Mehta

Veteran

Jonathan Capellansosa Apo, AE

I really appreciate all the responses, and advice. I now have a clearer view of how to proceed. Thank you all.

Advisor

Po Wong Orlando, FL

Hi Jonathan,
Thanks for your service!
Johnson & Johnson has a significant facility at Tampa which supports North America Supply Chain functions. Attached link is the Florida J&J job posting which updates daily. Feel free to contact me for a private conversation if you feel it adds value.
Good luck!
Po
https://jobs.jnj.com/jobs?page=1&keywords=FL&location=&limit=100

Advisor

Thomas Schott Bradenton, FL

Hi Jonathan,

About 30 years ago, I was in a similar situation as you. I had been working in military transportation for nine years, but completed a degree in Computer Information Systems prior to leaving active duty. I looked for positions both in Transportation/Logistics and IT, but am very glad that I moved to IT. While I started out in an entry level position and took a pay cut, I found that my nontechnical skills from the military allowed me to progress in the organizations much faster than similar college grads that started with me.

I'm now live in Bradenton, just south of Tampa. You may want to look at government and contractor positions at MacDill Air Base in Tampa, as well as look into the Orlando area for potential DoD related positions. While I didn't follow this government related path myself, I think it is easier to find employers that understand and value your military experience, and place less importance on technical experience.

I saw a recent posting on LinkedIn for an NIS Global Director of Application Security with PWC (https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/2427870170/) in Sarasota. While this would be too senior for you starting out, it indicates that there may be a demand for IT security types in the region at a consulting firm. The posting also lists some of the certifications that they are looking for (very important in the IT security area).

Advisor

John Porell East Hartford, CT

HI Jonathan,
I reached out to an application security team member I work with and got some interesting resources to look at. there is a six month program at SANS targeted for vets transitioning to cybersecurity : https://www.sans.org/cybertalent/cybersecurity-career/vetsuccess-academy

Here is a tool that estimates what their GI Bill benefits will pay for at SANS: https://www.va.gov/gi-bill-comparison-tool/profile/21000620.

A good certification path (this is his opinion) ordered in level of difficulty and opportunity is:
Security+ > Certified Ethical Hacker > Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP).
https://www.comptia.org/certifications/security
https://cert.eccouncil.org/certified-ethical-hacker.html
https://www.offensive-security.com/pwk-oscp/

Some entry-level job titles:
SOC Analyst
Security Analyst
Junior CyberSecurity Analyst
Junior Penetration Tester

I would also suggest reading up on Agile development methods as any IT organization would likely apply this method of process management. I've asked other cyber security team members for feedback and will post the replies to you directly if I receive more feedback.
Good luck
John Porell

Advisor

Andrew McAfee Ontario, CA

Your undergrad selection is a great choice to begin the professional transition. Wanting to be in IT is a very general statement. Try to pin down a few roles in IT that really interest you and start there. Search LinkedIn for people that have those titles. Look for open positions and see what the basic and preferred qualifications are. Don't be afraid to connect with someone on LinkedIn that has the job you want. Just be sure to be cordial, introduce yourself with a note, and ask for some of their time to talk about their role, how they got into it, and how they might recommend you start the journey. While you're on active duty see if you can use Army cool and try to get CompTIA Network + and Security +, they're often recommended for many IT roles.

Advisor

Amit Chaudhary San Jose, CA

Your plan of BS(under grad) in computer security is a good start.

A way to decide courses would be to use linkedin profiles of Security professionals including those in Tampa to guide you.
You will start seeing more specific(real) roles as well, such as intrusion detection, forensics and incident analysis, legal auditing post leaks, etc

If possible switch to a college with better on campus recruiting for your major.

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