Post-graduate student

Hi, I hope that the FC Course is progressing well. You have posed an intersting question relating to your immediate employment plans. My observations may come across as a sort of career advice interview but as a seasoned forensic IT professional with experience of law enforcement and the private sector, I can pose you questions to considered

1. What is it that interests you about Forensic IT?
2. Do you want to work with material gained under a warrant?
3. Do you perceive yourself as an expert witness in 5 years or so?
4. Do you want to be exposed to a multitude of skills, disciplines and challenges?
5. At this stage in your development, do you want to concentrate on technical issues rather than dealing with overall project management or client-facing meeings?

In short, what I would advise is that within the UK there are a great number of professionals - with an abundance of very experienced ex-police officers - that bring years of experience to the table. That is competition that you will be up against. My advice would be to pursue a position within an organisation that will allow you to hone your technical skills, specialise if appropriate and at the same time expose you to the world of client handling and billing. This will enable you to build a cv, a reputation and a list of contacts that you may be able to utilise if you decide to become self-employed.

Hope that helps.

Steve

A very useful reply, Steve, I've stickied this topic for others' future reference.

Jamie

Hello all,

This is very interesting as I too am nearing completion, of the BSc standard in Forensic Computing at Staffordshire University. I am a mature student with related prior skills, who is interested in making first moves in the industry. I would be interested in hearing from anyone currently employed to assess the move to make into the industry.

Thank you

Matthew

Hi Matty- out of interest, what kind of experience do you have an how old are you? I've been told that trying to get into Forensics after the 40 is tough. I've just turned 36 and am looking at moving into the CF field-I'm going on the SANS GCFA course next week and really want to 'break' into the field.
On a related note, I can't seem to find any specific CF degree course here in Aus so I'm not sure as to how to proceed there.

Hi Elmurado, I started studying the masters in Digital Forensics course at Edith Cowan University in Perth last month, maybe you should look into that one if you want a uni degree in Australia

Hi. I'm from the US. Our countries are similar enough, hopefully my take on the situation will have some value. Maturity will work FOR you in this field. It's a huge asset. Don't let age stop you from pursuing dreams & goals. If you were an attorney who would you want to put on the stand Some fresh faced kid with a college degree and 2 years of experience or the man who can say "I have 2 decades of IT experience, specialized training in CF, and certifications to back it up"?

I have a degree in computer science. Before entering CF I spent my career (15+ years) as a self-employed IT consultant. Gradually transferred to CF by taking courses, getting certified, forming a new biz, then transitioning from general work to solely CF work. My 15+ years of IT experience is what allowed me to do that. I don't live in a large metro area so the process was slower than I liked because demand wasn't there when I 1st started. Over the past 2 years demand for services has increased significantly. There are no CF employers in my area and moving to work for someone else wasn't an option. Circumstances dictated the path I chose (opening own biz) but I'm a very happy camper now - I have the lifestyle and the career I want. The field is fantastic – so many things to learn you never get bored!

One of the most successful people I know in the field is an associate in Silicon Valley. He entered CF with an IT degree and over 4 decades of IT experience at approximately the same time I did. He was 60+ years old when he first became interested in CF. He's as sharp as they come and really knows his stuff. His hourly rate is double what I charge and I command a healthy fee. Attorney's are crazy about the man. He's been so busy lately he recently increased his fees $50/hr thinking that would reduce the workload. It didn't happen - everyone just keeps hiring him at the increased rate. So now he's in the process of expanding the business and hiring help – something he never intended to do when he 1st started. It's the head-full of white hair, the 40+ years experience, and of course the fact that he's good at what he does that have made him so successful. A great location helps but its the experience folks are buying!

CF is still in its infancy. They haven't even finished writing the rule books yet. It's also a niche that isn't as easy to outsource as other IT functions are. I think its a great career choice. Don't let "age" stop you. Age will work for you, not against you. My two cents for what its worth …..

I totally agree with you guys about age being an asset, however being 23 and only having 2 years IT experience, I have some worries about being able to break into the forensic field once I have finished my degree.
What would you suggest that would make me stand out from the crowd?

Well Sancho, just about anything will make you stand out if others don't have it, but nothing will if others do. So, you'll have a degree and 2 years IT experience. That's more than others with neither have but will not enough if the the person beside you has a degree, 2 years IT experience and another year doing forensics.

So, the trick is to to as many things that will help you stand out.

1) Volunteer if possible for law enforcement. Initially do anything. As they get to know you, they may (don't know, but may) let you work with the computer crimes unit.

2) Volunteer to assist anyone doing any forensics anywhere. You may have to sign non-disclosure agreements etc, but I think you can understand why.

3) Get certifications. You often see the question "Which certification is the best?" I'd say, "The one You can get." No matter which cert you get, there'll be some employers who don't care, some who don't like the cert you have, some who don't understand, and some who think THAT cert is cool beans. The first two groups you can't win with but haven't lost anything either. Someone in the latter two groups will be the one who hires you. Now if you say, "I'm confident I can get this cert or that, but can't afford both." only then do we really have the basis of a conversation.

Hope these thoughts help.

I had a few questions please. I've graduated this June and completed MSc. Forensic Computing with Merit from Staffordshire University.

I posses good theoretical knowledge on policies and procedures for forensic analysis but less practical knowledge. I would like to take an year's gap before considering myself to apply for a CF analyst.
Could you please give me some advice. What level of experience/knowledge do companies expect from a fresh graduate.

Also, I'm very fresh to this industry and am starting to do some practicals. From salary point of view, are there a few fields which would get me a higher salary. Sorry it is an awkward question but since I'm willing to open myself to learn anything, I might as well focus myself to the higher paid careers. Could you please give me a list of few jobs that are high in demand but possible for a fresh graduate to achieve. ex. network forensics or mobile forensics, etc.

Lastly, after completing my MSc, is it wise for me to go for training courses offered by EnCase or similar courses. I would rather not do another training that is more theoretical in nature.