Has eLS courses and/or certs helped you in your career?

[Don.D 8]

Hi All,

As you all know, our main goal at eLS is not just to educate but also to help all of you advance your careers. We wanted to start a conversation to see how that's going. Here's a few questions to get the ball rolling:

1.  Did you take an eLS course to advance your career?
2.  Did you take the course and the exam? Did you pass?
3.  What were your career goals before taking our courses, and how did they help (whether or not you finished the entire course, took the exam or passed/failed)?

We truly take your replies to heart. Feel free to be as honest as you desire and to add any other thoughts you find to be relevant.

Thanks,
Don

[jairocb 1]

Hello Don.

1. Did you take an eLS course to advance your career? 
Yes. I am working as a cybersec analyst, and I thought the eLS courses will help me to advance in my career. For example, I want to work as malware analyst, and some days ago I saw in my country some jobs offers as senior cybsersec analysts (I'm a Jr by the way) in where malware analysis and reverse engineering is a requisite. So having a eCRE cert will be improve my chances to be elegible for that senior position. Even if I do not have that job (other offers will appear), I will have the knowledge and what I've learned in the course made me happy.

2. Did you take the course and the exam? Did you pass? 
I'm about to finish the course, as soon as I take the exam and I have the results, I will update the thread.

UPDATE: I took the exam on September 15th, sadly I did not passed. I did the mistake to not study the theoretical part in deep and focused more on the practical part, I can't mention in detail what questions I think I failed, but if you will take the exam, be 100 sure you understand the theory and how to calculate anything could be asked in the exam.

3. What were your career goals before taking our courses, and how did they help (whether or not you finished the entire course, took the exam or passed/failed)? 
My goals are to keep myself in the infosec technical area (pentesting, malware analysis, threat hunting... etc). ARES course for example, is helping me to accomplish a huge part for my malware analysis goals.

Regards.

[adams.rosco 5]

Hi,

1. Did you take an eLS course to advance your career? 

Yes, I am a Senior Software Dev and have always had an interest in InfoSec. Since taking eJPT and eWAPT I have already done 2 official Pen tests within the company and the plan is for me to do another 2 shortly. My company now see's the value in it, and are utilising me in a professional capacity. I am not only getting practical academic experience but real world experience as well. 

2. Did you take the course and the exam? Did you pass? 
I took the PTS course (eJPT passed) and WAPT course (took the exam, and patiently awaiting on report results), and planning on doing eWAPTX as well. 

3. What were your career goals before taking our courses, and how did they help (whether or not you finished the entire course, took the exam or passed/failed)? 

My career goals are to become a secure software assessor as listed under the NIST framework. I have done web development, system development and mobile development, so naturally for me, If I can put Web Security, System Security and Mobile Security behind my name, I can securely analyse and produce secure hardened applications. Just by having eJPT and doing eWAPT I am already teaching those in my team about web penetration testing and all the concepts I have learned, and new opportunities are opening up for me outside of my team. As I said before, I have already done 2 Pen tests, and have more lined up within my own company, for other departments.

***sidenote: I think another chapter needs to be devoted purely to systems analysis and design. I know you cant get everything into one chapter as their are books devoted to this (because I already have one). But I do recommend that for those getting into infosec without an IT or development background, your career (especially in corporate) would be so much more enriched, if you have more experience in systems analysis.