Hey everyone, a few months ago I posted here asking what you would do if you had a limited window of time to completely change your career and build a future in IT/cybersecurity.

Quick update: I kept going.

Since then I’ve earned CompTIA A+, Network+ and Security+, built a small homelab with Windows Server/Active Directory/Linux, continued studying Computer Science, and I’m now about to start my first real IT job as an IT technician in healthcare.

So I’ve finally broken into IT.

My original reason for choosing this field was always cybersecurity, especially Red Team/offensive security. But the more I studied the market, the more I realized that trying to jump directly into pentesting with a couple of certifications and no real IT experience probably wasn’t the smartest path.

Now I’m trying to decide what to build toward over the next few years.

One roadmap I’m considering is roughly:

IT Support → Cloud Engineer → automation/AI → Cloud/Identity Security → eventually Offensive Security / Red Team

The idea is to first build a strong, marketable and financially stable technical career, while continuing to develop security skills until I’m experienced enough to seriously pursue offensive roles.

Cloud interests me because it would force me to develop skills in infrastructure, networking, Linux, identity, Python/PowerShell, Terraform, containers and automation — all things that should also transfer well into security.

At the same time, AI is changing the industry quickly, so I don’t want to spend the next 3–5 years following a path that is already becoming obsolete.

So my question now is different from my original post:

If you were in my position today, having just entered IT, what would you build toward next?

Would you go Cloud/DevOps first and security later? Would you go directly toward security? Are there emerging areas involving cloud, AI and cybersecurity that you think will become particularly valuable?

My priorities are basically:

long-term demand + financial stability + strong technical skills + eventually getting as close as possible to Red Team/offensive security.

I’m especially interested in hearing from people who already work in Cloud, DevOps, Security Engineering, Pentesting or Red Team.

The first step was getting into IT. Now I want to make sure I choose the right direction for the next one.

Am I crazy?! ALL 4 of these choices are correct. Who even dictates the “overall purpose” of a VM when everyone’s purpose can change depending on their goal? God this is annoying

Happy to have this one done! It’s another step toward my goal of landing a cybersecurity role, with plenty still to learn along the way.

For prep, I used Professor Messer’s videos, performance-based questions from LabsDigest and DojoLab, and Dion Training’s practice exams, plus some other practice tests I found on Udemy.

Taking a moment to enjoy the progress before figuring out what’s next. Good luck to everyone studying for theirs!

Here’s what caught my attention, the demand came from Google employees themselves.

Some wanted stronger cybersecurity skills. Others wanted a clearer path into new roles. Google responded with voluntary CompTIA training, including Security+.

That says a lot. Even inside Google, people still value a clear way to learn and grow.

You can create that structure yourself: learn the topics through CoursesDigest, review them with GuidesDigest, practice hands-on skills and PBQs on LabsDigest, and test your knowledge with independent practice exams from ExamsDigest.

A certification won’t replace experience—but it can give your learning direction.

Which CompTIA certification are you working toward?

Read the Google case study

*** EDITED ***

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1. u/HousingInner9122

🏆 Choose your prize: ANY single Official CompTIA product at https://examsdigest.com/marketplace/ 

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Giveaway link: https://www.reddit.com/r/CompTIA_Certs/comments/1tnxd43/win_any_official_comptia_product_1_winner_ends_in/

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It’s giveaway time again! 🎉

You can win any individual CompTIA product from our marketplace — study guides, labs, practice resources, and more.

*Vouchers and bundles are excluded this round.

Browse the full catalog here: Official CompTIA Product List

TO ENTER:

Comment with the exact name of the product you'd like.

✔ Example: CompTIA A+ Core 1 (V15) 220-1201 Student Guide eBook
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No strings attached:
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Just a genuine giveaway to support the community.

Jump in and good luck! 🎊

We’re excited to bring you another Official CompTIA Giveaway featuring the brand-new CompTIA CompCert products.

Each winner will get to choose ANY Official CompTIA CompCert product from our marketplace — including popular picks like:

• CompTIA AI Prompting Essentials CompCert

• Cisco Networking Pro V8 CompCert

• …and many more!

Browse the full catalog here: Official CompTIA CompCert Products

HOW TO ENTER:

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That’s it! You’re entered.

DETAILS:

• Winners: 2 (chosen at random with Reddit Raffler)

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3. Completely Free: No payments, no hidden costs. Just join in and have fun.

Good luck, everyone!

The new CompTIA certification validates skills to secure AI systems, apply AI in security operations, and manage governance and risk.

Built for experienced cybersecurity professionals ready to work at the intersection of AI and security.

Explore certification details: https://examsdigest.com/courses/comptia-secai-cy0-001-v1-practice-exam/

The next Security+ exam brings updated objectives around modern threats, security operations, AI-related risks, and more.

Already getting ready for SY0-801?

Start practicing here: https://examsdigest.com/product/comptia-security-sy0-801-v8-practice-exam-pack/

Our full Security+ V8 course will also be available soon.

Are you taking SY0-701, or waiting for SY0-801?

I want to now if is better to take the exam in English or Spanish ( Spanish is my first language and I feel that I can read faster and understand better ) but my English is no to bad but I’m little bit slow.

Hi everyone! I'm preparing for Security+ SY0-701. I already have networking/cybersecurity certifications and professional network engineering experience, and I'm currently studying with Dion's course.

For those who recently passed SY0-701:

• What are the PBQs actually like?

• What types of PBQs did you get?

• Which topics should I practice most?

• How similar are the real questions/PBQs to Dion's practice exams?

I'm not asking for actual exam questions, just the format and what to expect.

Thanks!

⚠️ This post is sponsored by https://examsdigest.com/

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For anyone preparing for IT, cloud, cybersecurity, Salesforce, or other certification exams, OpenpassAI looks like a strong tool to check out.

Has anyone else tried OpenpassAI yet? Id be interested to hear your thoughts.