MakeNTGreatAgain
Supporter
- Aug 5, 2017
- 10,271
- 11,045
congrats fammmmm
MakeNTGreatAgain
Supporter
- Aug 5, 2017
- 10,271
- 11,045
i vibe codeso how many people here are vibe coders?
Vibe coding - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
i know the basics of javascript and python but man... using Gemini to just write it out for me is so much easier/better lol.
esp when im developing scripts or macros.
- Aug 30, 2012
- 23,015
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Took and passed the PMP exam today.
Been procrastinating for 10 years. Took several boot camps and bought two books.
A friend said they were interested in taking the exam so it helped give me the extra motivation to see the journey to the end. Definitely a beast of an exam. 180 questions, 230 minutes. It’s like a marathon of an IT certification exam. They let you take two 10-minute breaks. The practice exams PMI has are great for preparing for the exam. I felt confident as I made my way through the exam. I was pleasantly surprised when I got AT/AT/AT on my exam results.
Going to focus on recertifying my CCNP which expires in June.
Been procrastinating for 10 years. Took several boot camps and bought two books.
A friend said they were interested in taking the exam so it helped give me the extra motivation to see the journey to the end. Definitely a beast of an exam. 180 questions, 230 minutes. It’s like a marathon of an IT certification exam. They let you take two 10-minute breaks. The practice exams PMI has are great for preparing for the exam. I felt confident as I made my way through the exam. I was pleasantly surprised when I got AT/AT/AT on my exam results.
Going to focus on recertifying my CCNP which expires in June.
- Jul 18, 2012
- 2,869
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Love to see folks getting their certs. Just got my Security +, working on Cloud + next. Want to do something different soon.
- Aug 18, 2024
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Got my full time offer to start at AWS in May as a Solutions Architect. Starting out at TC of 225k.
Haven't had a "real" job since I got out the military 10+ years ago. Seeing the way IT is trending and how people 5-6 years in are still struggling to crack 100k, I feel extremly grateful that my first role in IT is making this much. I know my story is an outlier, but anything is possible with discipline, dedication, and consistency.
Haven't had a "real" job since I got out the military 10+ years ago. Seeing the way IT is trending and how people 5-6 years in are still struggling to crack 100k, I feel extremly grateful that my first role in IT is making this much. I know my story is an outlier, but anything is possible with discipline, dedication, and consistency.
- Aug 18, 2024
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Might as well got for the Network + if you don't already have it. You should see a good bit of overlap from the Security and Cloud certs.
- Aug 30, 2012
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Gotta ask how, especially if it’s your first role?
What certs do you have? Or what did they consider as your outstanding qualities?
Thinking about jumping ship at a year with my current contract job. I don’t know if I’ll go to AWS since I hear it’s like working in a sweatshop. My annual raise is 2% and my company is underperforming in their current Gov contract. I might got for the AWS Solutions Architect Pro later on in the year.
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- Jul 18, 2012
- 2,869
- 3,897
My work experience is the only reason I haven’t gone after that one. If I’m given a technical interview, I’d pass it I do believe.
- Aug 18, 2024
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“Lady Luck loves a hard working man.”
I sincerely acknowledge that luck and timing played a role in my journey. Being in the right place at the right time matters. At the same time, one thing I am very good at is recognizing opportunities and positioning myself to take advantage of them.
Architect roles in tech usually require ten or more years of experience. I am in my 30s and lost several of my prime earning years due to life challenges. When I decided to move into IT, I wanted to maximize my earning potential as quickly as possible within reason. I discovered that FAANG companies offer internships that lead into entry level Solutions Architect roles. The catch is that you have to be enrolled in school to qualify. Because of that, I enrolled at WGU in the AWS Cloud Computing program.
While in school I focused heavily on making myself competitive for those internships. I knew being a veteran and a minority would give me an advantage, but I still had to put in the work. My first internship was not the role I wanted. It was a Cloud Engineer internship and honestly I hated the work. I still accepted it because someone advised me to get my foot in the door. Looking back, I am glad I did. It gave me the chance to see how things worked internally and I quickly realized why I had not been selected for the Solutions Architect internship in the first place. I was underqualified.
I treated that first internship like an interview for the one I really wanted. In many ways I was doing two internships at once. I handled my responsibilities while also learning everything I could about the Solutions Architect role and building relationships with that team.
At the end of the internship I was offered a full time position as a Cloud Engineer. I turned it down so I could remain eligible for the Solutions Architect internship. Many people encouraged me to take the job because the market was uncertain and suggested I pivot into an architect role in two or three years. My biggest issue was the pay gap. The Cloud Engineer role pays about $50K less, and the gap increases greatly each promotion the Solutions Architect gets.
I believed I had made a strong enough impression on the Solutions Architects I worked with that they would advocate for me. I bet on myself. I shared my story with some of the SA leadership and they told me they would do what they could to bring me back as an architect. I got the Solution Architect internship the following year. Despite having everyone pull for me, I made sure that I was a top performer still. I didn't want to leave anything to chance. I actually got my full time offer back in December. I'm just posting about it now. I'd say that willingness to take a calculated risk is another quality that has helped me along the way.
The new graduate Solutions Architect role starts around $165K. Because I am going through the clearance process, there is also a $60K annual bonus that begins once the clearance is finalized. I previously held a clearance in the military, so the process should move faster than usual.
My soft skills are probably what set me apart the most. Earlier in life I did door to door sales. I used to be embarrassed by that, but as I got older I realized how valuable those experiences were. It taught me how to talk to anyone, build trust quickly, and understand people psychologically. The Solutions Architect role is a blend of technology and sales. What I'm doing now in many ways seems like the evolution of what I did in door to door sales. Now I don't have to worry about getting doors slammed in my face or getting cussed out. Plus all the potential customers come to me and no "quotas" or comission stressors.
I am not the most naturally gifted technologist, but I am very good at researching a topic and explaining it in a way that people understand. I have found a lot of success translating complex ideas into simple language that makes people comfortable working with me. Because I know my soft skills are a strength, I push myself hard on the technical side to quiet any imposter syndrome. Right now I hold six AWS certifications, one Azure certification, one Linux certification, and five CompTIA certifications.
Luck and timing definitely played a role. At the same time, the challenges I faced earlier in life forced me to become extremely disciplined and motivated. I believe anyone with the right mindset and work ethic can achieve similar results. In tech I have followed through on everything I said I would do, both the big goals and the small daily steps that make those goals possible.
A lot of the difference has simply been discipline. I focused on learning the fundamentals, earning certifications, and consistently improving. There were plenty of moments where it would have been easier to relax or have fun, but I chose to study and invest in my future instead. I would be remiss if I didn't mention networking with people. I strategically and genuinely connected with people in way that they would have a vestered interest in my success.
I did not expect to write this much, but hopefully my story inspires someone else to believe in themselves, put their boots on the ground, and go make things happen.
Not sure if that was the type of answer you were looking for. I'm down to provide more insight if necessary.
- Aug 30, 2012
- 23,015
- 13,290
That is a pretty motivating story especially for someone who switched careers post military.
- Aug 18, 2024
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Appreciate it. I think a lot of the sweat shop stuff is over blown. I think a lot of IT is revenge of the nerds and because the word has gotten out about the earning potential, a lot of normal people who previously weren't hip are entering the industry. As a result the nerds are having to compete with regular people where in the past it was just nerds against nerds. Thus they have to work harder compared to pre pandmeic days. I've worked temp jobs where I had to clean up demos and have the shift manager talk to me like a peasant. Nothing at AWS has felt like that. I would even say my work life balance during both internships was great and people who were full time felt the same. Of course YMMV. A lot of it comes down to team, manager, and position. Main people I hear saying that are SDE's. Not that it's right, but it's commonly understood most SDE's are only going to be there for 4 years. In turn amazon pays them well cause they know they're only going to get 4 years out of them.
I would recommend anyone to at least get FAANG on their resume if possible. At the end of the day, work is work. Makes sense to me to maximize your earning potential so that we can get out of the rat race as soon as possible.
- Aug 30, 2012
- 23,015
- 13,290
SDEs?
Which Amazon certs do you have?
And what service and job were you in the military?
- Aug 18, 2024
- 534
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SDE = Software Engineer SDE Salaries
Certs : Cloud Practitioner, AI Practitioner, Solutions Architect Associate, Developer Associate, Cloud Ops Associate, Machine Learning Associate
Air Force - Spec Ops Aircrew (1A1X3) AFSC
Ricky D
formerly centex hogg
- Mar 3, 2013
- 21,849
- 17,893
I need to figure out what I want to do when I retire in the next 3.5 years. I’m doing SecurityX in the next few weeks since it’s free.
- Aug 30, 2012
- 23,015
- 13,290
Spec Ops…
I respect my Air Force brethren.
Glad you had the vision and motivation to pursue a new career and found a path to success.
I have a buddy who did the AWS internship at his retirement. He still works at AWS. He just got his SA Professional. He did say it was like a sweat shop lol.
Take advantage of the benefits and resources.
SANS Institute offers vets the opportunity to do three courses.
Onward2Opportunity is a great way to do mock job interviews and get a free voucher for a cert depending on what track you pick.
And if you have an area of interest try to do SkillBridge or Corporate Fellowship. AWS does internships. Microsoft does SkillBridge. Or others have programs.
- Aug 18, 2024
- 534
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- May 25, 2001
- 23,558
- 17,978
Comptia finally gave me my Sec + ce renewal, exactly 5 months late. And they didnt even date it today they still dated it the original date so I lost 5 months basically being certified but not really since i didnt have the cert to prove it. Luckily I wasn’t currently switching jobs and the current didnt care or run no new reports. Found a reddit thread and apparently this is due to a new software/method since comptia was acquired and not some temporary, intermittent error like they told me.
- Aug 30, 2012
- 23,015
- 13,290
Yes, Devil Dog.
- Oct 10, 2018
- 15,583
- 32,065
Jesus Christ this judge needs to be gone immediately. Emotional little ***** and he’s in charge of making decisions over people’s lives?
- May 6, 2015
- 9,311
- 5,811
My first IT service desk job out of college was for our state's bar association (for lawyers and those practicing law to get licensed, etc.) and while most of the lawyers I worked with were chill there were a few very entitled folks too. They would get annoyed when any little A/V issue happened during a meeting and sometimes get flustered when you fixed a simple issue they claimed wasn't just that.
willypete
Supporter
- Aug 28, 2014
- 5,520
- 10,943
“I tried that already! You must’ve done something else!”
Okay cool, it’s fixed now so why the attitude?
- Apr 30, 2010
- 73,323
- 114,719
Sometimes you gotta lie to them. Oh yeah it wasn't anything you did, might have been the thing with the thing. No need to have them drain your energy.
- Oct 10, 2018
- 15,583
- 32,065
They get mad because they feel dumber than you. You know something they don’t so they have an inferiority complex.
In society ppl expect lawyers and doctors to be “smart” so they try to hide behind that assumption and hate asking for help. Used to work at the NIH with so many doctors and scientists. Im sure they’re smart in their field, but outside of that they were dumb as bricks.
In society ppl expect lawyers and doctors to be “smart” so they try to hide behind that assumption and hate asking for help. Used to work at the NIH with so many doctors and scientists. Im sure they’re smart in their field, but outside of that they were dumb as bricks.
- Feb 27, 2011
- 4,910
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People don't know how many times in IT we have to downplay those situations just so people dont feel like complete idiots. Some people might just be having a moment or a brain fart but we all know the amount of idiots working in upper management. Blow my mind how they got that far...
da r entertainment
Supporter
- Jul 20, 2002
- 10,436
- 4,559
I worked at a law firm for a few months and I swore never again. Some of the biggest pricks to deal with. Not sure how/why we were in IT, but helping lawyers actually edit their documents like a paralegal.
