USAJOBS: IT CyberSecurity Specialist

[Anonymous]

Me: fed, stem major (but not CS major), 1500 occupational series

Is it possible to transition into the IT field (if I take industry certificate, such as https://www.coursera.org/professional-certificates/google-cybersecurity )? What is the chance of making a successful career change?

Under normal circumstances, is this position eligible for telework? I understand that it’s five days in the office now; I’m referring to the situation in 2029.

[Anonymous]

Or other IT related career, if not CyberSecurity

[Anonymous]

Yes but it will be easier to get a job with a contractor and get hired that way,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes but it will be easier to get a job with a contractor and get hired that way,

Thanks. I want to stay as fed till at least MRA, or VERA (if offered again in a few years).

[Anonymous]

It depends on how hands on/technical the position is and where you are time-wise in your career.

If it's more managerial/oversight and less hands on and you are mid-career you have the best shot.

If it's more technical/hands-on and/or you are early or later career, probably not.

The cert you want is CISSP

[Anonymous]

it really all depends. many of these jobs are direct hire, which means that the people going through the resumes to create the cert are peers or the hiring manager, not just an uninterested non technical HR staffer.

the degree is fine. but if the specific job function requires X years of policy|threat hunting|coding|IAM|whathaveyou then it will be hard to break into that specific job. all you can do is try to find interesting positions and show how past jobs tasks might have related to specific job requirements in the posting.

[Anonymous]

Very few are work at home. You need years or experience, clearance

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Very few are work at home. You need years or experience, clearance

My current role offers very limited flexibility, and I’d really like the option to work from home some days. That’s one of the reasons I’m considering transitioning into the IT field. I had security clearance before, but not now (not required for current position).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
It depends on how hands on/technical the position is and where you are time-wise in your career.

If it's more managerial/oversight and less hands on and you are mid-career you have the best shot.

If it's more technical/hands-on and/or you are early or later career, probably not.

The cert you want is CISSP

Mid-career, no hand-on experience in IT field, only programming experience in statistics field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:it really all depends. many of these jobs are direct hire, which means that the people going through the resumes to create the cert are peers or the hiring manager, not just an uninterested non technical HR staffer.

the degree is fine. but if the specific job function requires X years of policy|threat hunting|coding|IAM|whathaveyou then it will be hard to break into that specific job. all you can do is try to find interesting positions and show how past jobs tasks might have related to specific job requirements in the posting.

Are there any entry-level or lower-paid positions in the private sector that provide hands-on experience, for example a two-month fellowship?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Me: fed, stem major (but not CS major), 1500 occupational series

Is it possible to transition into the IT field (if I take industry certificate, such as https://www.coursera.org/professional-certificates/google-cybersecurity )? What is the chance of making a successful career change?

Under normal circumstances, is this position eligible for telework? I understand that it’s five days in the office now; I’m referring to the situation in 2029.

The 1550 series is actually for Computer Scientists. If one reads the CS qualification information (available at opm.gov), it is clear an industry certificate will not be enough to qualify for a 1550 series job.

There is a different OPM series, the 2210 series, for IT Specialist. One often can qualify for one of those positions with industry certificates and such. In some parts of the government, a 2210 can’t be promoted past GS-12 (because that part of the government views 2210 as a technician job). In other parts of the government, a 2210 can be promoted to GS-15.

See this for more on 2210 qualifications:
“https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0300/gs-2210-information-technology-management-series/”

At present, telework is increasingly rare across all civil service positions. The main exception at present is for well-documented medical reasons. IT Specialist jobs often require physical changes to IT equipment or cables, so those positions might be less likely to qualify for telework. It varies, but at present I would expect most people to be in the office every work day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very few are work at home. You need years or experience, clearance

My current role offers very limited flexibility, and I’d really like the option to work from home some days. That’s one of the reasons I’m considering transitioning into the IT field. I had security clearance before, but not now (not required for current position).

VERY unlikely to get any telework agreement for any GS position at the present time. Only exceptions I know of have serious well-documented medical conditions.

IT jobs, including for cybersecurity, are LESS likely to get telework than other jobs — because the nature of the job involves physical presence, touching. cables, equipment, and whatever else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very few are work at home. You need years or experience, clearance

My current role offers very limited flexibility, and I’d really like the option to work from home some days. That’s one of the reasons I’m considering transitioning into the IT field. I had security clearance before, but not now (not required for current position).

VERY unlikely to get any telework agreement for any GS position at the present time. Only exceptions I know of have serious well-documented medical conditions.

IT jobs, including for cybersecurity, are LESS likely to get telework than other jobs — because the nature of the job involves physical presence, touching. cables, equipment, and whatever else.

I understand that it is not possible to get telework at the present time. But I need to consider the telework chance after 2029, next administration. Based on your comment, I think I can forget about IT jobs.

[Anonymous]

I am a 2210, GS14. It is hard but not that hard. I have seen several people in my smaller command (roughly 800 people) go into 2210 from another field without a IT / Computer degree. Get certifications.
I would not recommend Cybersecurity - the certifications are much more difficult, and frankly, most of the jobs are beyond boring. It’s reviewing scans, reviewing documents that justify or plan on how to fix whatever minor finding. Only the really good cybersecurity specialists get to hunt threats. Also, many (not all) cybersecurity need access to SIPR routinely which decreases telework.
What do you WANT to do in IT? Programming? Data Analytics? Helpdesk?
We are all hoping for more telework in 2029.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a 2210, GS14. It is hard but not that hard. I have seen several people in my smaller command (roughly 800 people) go into 2210 from another field without a IT / Computer degree. Get certifications.
I would not recommend Cybersecurity - the certifications are much more difficult, and frankly, most of the jobs are beyond boring. It’s reviewing scans, reviewing documents that justify or plan on how to fix whatever minor finding. Only the really good cybersecurity specialists get to hunt threats. Also, many (not all) cybersecurity need access to SIPR routinely which decreases telework.
What do you WANT to do in IT? Programming? Data Analytics? Helpdesk?
We are all hoping for more telework in 2029.

Any jobs with flexibility (telework or remote) in 2029? Job flexibility is more important to me.

The other reason is -- I want to leave USDA, in order to avoid potential relocation. So I just need to explore other opportunities.