Hi all,

31 year old Freelance tech here. So, i finally decided to go back to school and get a degree in cybersecurity instead of putting it off and getting constantly nagged by my coworkers, friends and family, to go back for IT since I handle most of the IT issues that don't require permissions for me to access the system before it gets to our help desk.

So, I did that and now I'm getting ready to finish that degree. I plan to continue on with and get my bachelor's degree, however I want to do that at another company since Im really burned out at the place I am currently at while I would like to work in the IT department at my job but every single position they have listed requires that i have a bachelor's degree even for something like helpdesk. I've also tried contacting various people there that my supervisor has recommended that I get in contact with over the last 2 years to see what they can do and have been met with silence or promises that never materialize.

So, I've made up my mind to tough out this last year, start looking for another job as it gets closer to my quitting date, and leave. While I'm waiting for the year to be up what can I do in the mean time? I already plan to get my sec in August or September and my Net soon after that. My uncle who owns a small business has offered to hire me for some part time work outside of my regular job to gain experience. But what else should I be doing to prepare? Also GPA is a 3.94 currently if that matters.

Edit: forgot to mention that i hold an active security clearance and I plan to focus on the digital forensics side of cybersecurity, but I would also like to learn a little bit more about Red Team as well.