Hello all, i recently joined this forum but have been lurking for a good while. I am currently in my 4th year at a state university here in Texas. Though this is my 4th year i will not be graduating as i kind of lost myself for a year and pretty much fell a year behind. I am refocused on what i originally came to college to do, which in my mind is a plus that after a year of searching myself i found my passions were the same as before i entered college. Anyway i am having trouble securing loans for my tuition, and i would really love to get into government positions involving digital forensics, information security, and/or other geeky cool jobs. But for the last couple of years i have wondered whether my degree is going to be enough to help get me where i want to go. So i have been debating this within myself for a couple months and would love some input. The army has recently stood up its cyber command to work along side the air force cyber command and everyone else. While reading about this, the thought of some type of military reserver service keeps popping into my head. I know i wont get all the cash and glory that everyone tries to sell me, but i know they do offer tuition assistance and also loan repayment. Plus i think that some type of military service as a signal analyst or equivalent job would not hurt my resume. I am just curious if anyone here has done this or know someone who has? Would it be stupid for me to sign up when i am about a year from graduating? Should i wait to signup after i graduate or just forget military service all together and just get out of school and start trying to build me career? Any thoughts or advice is greatly appreciated.
Depending on your degree and what related experience you have already, you should still have some options for finding an entry level position. I was able to secure my position, in IA not forensics, simply by having a BS and two AAS degrees. I was able to supliment these degrees by having an A+ certification and various IT related positions which I had. My company was also interested in any leadership experience which I had. This could include being an RA or having a leadership position in either a job or internship.
As I'm sure you've heard before, it's all about being in the right place at the right time. I would suggest checking your school's career fair to see what you can find there. You mentioned that you are interested in a government position, however, don't disregard government contractors as well. As a contractor you'll have a lot of the same opportunities as a government employee however you'll still have some of the private sector benefits.
The military is also a good option as it can help you get your foot in for a government position after your enlistment is up, however there is always the possibility that you won't get an IA/forensics related job. While it may help pay off some of your loans, you could be stuck as a mechanic for 4+ years until you're able to leave. From what I've been told by a co-worker who was in the army, if you want a CS related job you need to have a strong mathematic and engineering background. However, military experience, regardles of the role, always looks good on the resume.
Hopefully this gave you a little information to help your decision.