It's nearly the summer holidays and I want to try and get a job to get some experience, since experience seems to be valued more than certifications.

I've tried looking at different job sites, but they either want specialists or permanent positions.

How can I find a temporary job just to get a bit of experience in the it field?

I've also found an exam centre close to me where I can take the CCNA exam, would it be worth studying for this qualification? I want to eventually become a pentester but I will need to work my way up first, would that be a good starting point?

Cheers,
Sam

Oh Yeah, I guess I meet those requirements. I'm definitely going to give this a go even if I don't end up with an information security related job, from what I've read it sounds really fun!

I didn't see a list of requirements on the website (I have seen them posted somewhere though)

Looking at the syllabus, I'm comfortable with the majority of the content, I don't think I would have any problems with the course (other than paying for it haha)

My exams will be over shortly, I will see if I could get any IT/network related jobs over the summer just to get experience.

I've used Metasploitable and WebGoat, but I haven't used any of the others, looks like I will be very busy, thank you

I was referring to Northumbria University, however I will partly retract my previous statement, it looks like it will build a good foundation, but it doesn't look like it would prepare someone for hacking a real network.

I'm not sure on a specific field, I've lately enjoyed playing around with buffer overflows, and written a generic return address brute force tool. I found it really interesting, however I don't know which field this would be included in.

I also enjoy the whole process of penetration testing, from gathering information through to exploitation and covering tracks.

How does the metasploitable server compare to real world targets? It seemed way too easy, which do you think would give the best feel for testing the security of a real company?

Thank You
-Sam

I still have a couple of years to decide, but right now I'm thinking about a job as a pentester.

I live in the UK, so was hoping for advice specific to jobs in this country.

What path do I need to follow in order to get a job? Which qualifications will I need (The OSCP and OSCE courses look particularly interesting), which courses should I think of taking at University?

I've looked at the ethical hacking course at my local uni, but it seems more like a computer science course with a couple of security modules thrown in, I doubt it would teach anyone to actually hack, I'll do a bit more research but it looks pretty weak.

Is there any way to get experience now? Such as voluntary work etc.?

Thank You
-Sam Kennedy