Just in case it was driving anyone else crazy:
"The Gang Runs for Office" S02 E08
My most talented coworker was a contractor that was hired on full time. He has repeatedly said he would never have made it through the hiring process. I think about that a lot.
Dang, Denny can't catch a break.
I just had an involuntary flashback of a host at a restaurant asking if we would like smoking or non smoking. It didn't really matter since the whole place smelled like smoke...
Remember back in 2001 when everyone freaked out at Cheney's age? He was 60. Our "young" potential candidate is 59.
Lot of jokes here, my brother repeatedly has told me he is disgusted by the fact that we look at toilet paper to tell if we are clean. Granted he would have to get the TP very close to his face to be able to see anything. He says he just wipes until he is clean. Not an exciting answer, but that's what I got.
They are quick lol. Nah, AWS and Azure are just two different brands of the same(ish) priduct. There are others too, but those are the big players. Getting the cloud fundamentals cert (or cloud practitioner for AWS) are very similar. That is another reason I would wait to really specialize until you are with a company and you know what they use. The basic building blocks are pretty similar between the two though.
If I were jumping back in right now, I would focus on cloud. Pick azure or AWS and do as many of the low level certs I can until I get a company to pay for the higher ones. If you specifically want security I would start learning Python too.
Every dang thing is cloud now, some people think we will pull back from cloud slightly, but I think that is just wishful thinking.
It sounds like your head is in the right place for sure. There are a handful of ways to get started, some people do bootcamps, these are good if you need structure but they are super pricey. Some people self study which is always good, and some people luck/interview into a truly entry level position and claw your way up. I did the last one, but again, when I started they were begging people to join the IT field. Best of luck to you!
The problem most people have right now is they think they will start in "cybersecurity" but the vast majority of people start in IT support or development and work their way up. There are exceptions of course, but this is mostly what you see. Entry level IT jobs usually pay less that whatever industry you are currently in, so most people get pissed when they do all of this work and get a 40K a year job. Granted that is just to start, but for some reason everyone thinks they will just "get a job in cybersecurity" starting six figures. Maybe in 2008, but now it is an established career field you have to work your way up to.
If you have a passion for technology I would say go for it. If it would just be another job for you, but you would enjoy it, it might work for you. If you think this is a way to get rich quick, I doubt you stuck with it. Unfortunately, I see so many entry level IT people coming for a career change who quit early because they don't enjoy the entry level work where you cut your teeth and learn.
Just my two cents, I dropped my lurker status today because I train new IT professionals and I see this very often and I wanted to potentially help you out.