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jaclaz's response is very pertinent.
jaclaz points out what is a necessary, nay, required attitude toward information, when considering forensics.
- the urge to search and research, often to the minutiae.
I would venture to say that all successful forensic investigators are experts at either finding or knowing where to find information. They may not have the expertise in the subject, but they have the expertise on finding the expertise.
jaclaz's comment is very relevant. You are "trying to find somewhere to do [your] industrial placement". Furthermore since you "don't really know what [you are] asking for here", you left quite a field open for responses.
Many have pointed out that currently, you may not have the aptitude for forensics. This is not a personal attack, it is just simply that your strengths lay somewhere else.
It has been also pointed out, why we believe so. Please review the thread and examine the responses. mrgreen
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Because it was originally a place to talk about what I felt was a lack of support from practitioners, it wasn't a "I want to get started please help me" post.
I don't think that is pertinent to the discussion though.
Sure ) , I was pointing out the kind of IMPRESSION one might get (no matter if the impression is correct or not, but it does count when you apply for a job) - and yes, life is tough and definitely NOT fair .
The impression one may get is that you posted without having first read the "instructions" for the Board use. roll
I am actually sympathizing with you and your situation ) , if I were you in a similar occasion, I would have stated something like
Hallo,
I am posting here because I feel like this topic seems more suited to "General Discussion" than to "Getting Started", as though seemingly relatred to the latter, I think that there may be more constructive comments/replies here.
As opposed to
I don't really know what I'm asking for here I just wanted a place to vent my frustrations
I.E. giving the impression of an accurate, previously analized and well thought about post as opposed to a carelessly posted "venting" one.
Sometimes details like the above (just an example of course) may make the difference when someone is deciding - on the base of a CV and of a short interview - whether to hire you or not.
jaclaz
What is a necessary, nay, required attitude toward information, when considering forensics.
- the urge to search and research, often to the minutiae.
I would venture to say that all successful forensic investigators are experts at either finding or knowing where to find information. They may not have the expertise in the subject, but they have the expertise on finding the expertise.
Hit the nail on the head there. The above is the absolute baseline for a viable career in forensics.
Which leads to…
You may not have the aptitude for forensics.
Harsh, like a lot of truths. That is not to pick out Mike unfairly on this as he certainly seems to have more going for him than a lot of the other posters on here in the same position as him. However wanting something really badly (i.e., a career in computer forensics) is not a substitute for having the necessary skills to be a computer forensic analyst.
And I hope Mike has changed his original opinion that there is a "reluctance to help out beginners" in this field, because there is great advice in spadefuls in this thread.
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I don't think this has been said yet, no matter how good you are, luck plays a massive aspect to getting your first job. Things just seemed to click into place when I got my placement year job, and now nearly 2 years on, luck has played a massive part in getting my first graduate job in forensics. I uploaded my CV onto a job board, and 1 phone call later, 1 interview later I gained a position in a company I would of never dreamed of!
I know saying 'get lucky' is probably the worst advice in the world, but have a positive mental attitude to your job search and you will soon find that opportunities come at you quicker that you think. There is definitely a market out there for graduates in this field.
Mike,
1) Go talk to Mr Brearley if you aren't sure with EnCase as he's a fully qualified DF examiner and also an expert witness in the field.
2) You've left it very late for a placement.
3) The team at the uni are great, yes there were niggles with EnCase and it took a while to fix it and this was annoying for every student, not least some fellow final year students requiring it for their studies but there are local USB keys that can be utilised and that offer was made to everyone who asked about EnCase.
4) What were your grades in the first year ? Exceptional is easy to prove if you have put the work in and have the grades to prove it, no company expect you to know everything if you're doing a placement but they do expect you to put the effort in.
5) It's unlikely that any forensics company will let you just rock up for a week to help them and experience as they would need to guide you through lots of things, waste resources and potentially you might not be authorised to work on any of the cases, the company you mentioned (if I know which one it is) also requires full DV clearance.
oh, P.S. I suggest you close your facebook profile from the public as employers can often look at these and you've got quite a few "non-flattering pictures"
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