Hello all,

32 year old black guy here, I posted a 2 year on the expats sub, asking how sound my plan was to eventually get out of the states. At that time I was at a job I absolutely hated and were I saw no path forward career wise. So, I went back to school, graduated with an IT degree, got myself sec and in June this year I left. I couldn't leave earlier since I had to stay a year because the company paid for it, but they also wouldn't let me move to IT without a bachelor's (really couldn't do one more year there).

So, now I'm a field service technician. Which is a great change from being an autoCAD Designer. I'm working on the experience part, and in the meantime I'm going to up skill into a network admin role when I get my CCNA and a couple of cloud certs. I've already done research on the of the countries and requirements for them in places like the U.K, Indonesia (currently at a basic conversational level with this one) and a couple other places I have an interest in. While the requirements are steep like the bachelor's or experience. I'd like to get that one, but due to recent event, I might see about getting that one elsewhere.

I was wondering how long it took people in IT field? And are certs as valuable around the world as they are in the US? Since more often than not, experience and certs are more valued.

I do hold a clearance but that's if I want to continue doing contract work. I know it'll take me a couple of years since I spent that last 7 doing Design and 4 months in IT (More if you count being shadow at work and freelance).