Should I make a switch?

Shenanigan

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Hi everyone,

I'm thinking of moving into an IT field and wanted to see if anyone could help give some advice to a newcomer. I'm a 27 year old working in government relations for a nonprofit in the DC area. Current job is ok but the pay isn't ideal and it took months of applying to finally get it. I had worked as a contractor for the govt before landing here. No real IT experience to speak of, but I did recently pick up my PMP certification (seems to be strongly correlated with this field).



A couple questions on making the switch-

· - Would I need a whole new degree or could I start by taking individual courses and getting certifications?
· - Is there a certain IT specialization I should consider or…more importantly, avoid?
· - One friend in cyber security thought the best way to break in would be to take a class in Linux, a class in networking, and start to learn a programming language (Java?). Is this on the right track?
· - What would be the best way to gain more experience? Pick up an after-hours side job in whatever IT specialization I decide to pursue? Jump right in and take a full-time junior level IT job?
· - Anything else worth considering?



I am motivated about learning a new trade and think I could pick up new skills relatively quickly, though I know I'm already behind the curve.

One last thing- am I looking at this through rose colored glasses? Does the grass just seem greener to me or is this really a field worth entering?

Thanks in advance for any and all help.
 
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