In today’s economy, there are many people who work long hours. For some of these individuals, taking online classes, which provide students with training in the technical areas of information security is a great way to fit the job and family into their schedule. The economy has been tough on everyone including students who have to take a job or provide a service that must be done around the school and other obligations. As a result, taking online courses to gain valuable knowledge about network security, database management, and other technology aspects of information security is a way to more easily fit in with a busy lifestyle.
To take my consulting practice and build a foundation for my career, I started out by obtaining an associate’s degree from the University of Minnesota. This was accomplished in three and a half years. While attending classes, which consisted of lecture, discussion, literature review, lab work, and some independent reading, I put together a curriculum that was based on the topics taught in the business department throughout my four year career at the University of Minnesota. This curriculum was designed to prepare me for the types of tests that would be administered during my career and to build my foundation in network security.
Although I did not take any online courses to take my consulting practice seriously, I did participate in some. My first ones took about a year and a half and involved learning how to install Linux, set up a personal website, take online surveys, and answer questions on various forums. These were all basic courses designed to get me prepared for the types of tests that would be handed to me when I got into the business world. My goal for these courses was to learn the basics and fundamentals so that when the tests came my preparedness would be at an all-time high. I did not take these courses to learn any specific skills but rather to keep myself from becoming overwhelmed and ready to give up on taking online courses to take my consulting practice seriously.
Once I completed the information security coursework that was required of me at the University of Minnesota, I registered for the NCPLH course. This course is the same one I took to get my bachelor’s degree in information security. The difference between the two though is that I never sat for any exams related to the information security field. Instead, I simply took the classes that I needed to get myself prepared for work and to be able to work in the industry. I also took this course so that I would have some experience with network security and so that I would know how to set up secure servers for clients who needed them. I still plan on taking the other courses required to finish my education in information security, but for now I am satisfied with these two.
One of the biggest reasons that I took this course is that I was interested in making more money and expanding my business. I already took the basic security courses when I was in college, and now I want to take the one that sets forth the framework for information security in the business world. While I do not have to worry about applying myself to any one course, I really want to learn everything there is to know about security. After all, it will be up to me to put what I learned into practical application. This means that I will have to spend time and effort finding out everything I can about security. Luckily, my efforts are paying off because I am starting to make more money as a consultant than ever before.
As far as information security goes, each course that I take will give me more confidence. Each one of them feels like a real course and that I can learn from them quickly. The first class that I took actually reinforced my fear of speaking in public and this fear has since gone away. This experience taught me that I was doing the right thing by taking the time to get this information further. After my fear went away, my confidence also went up.
The final reason that I can think of to take my consulting practice seriously is because I want to make a positive impact on the lives of my clients. This means that I want to spend every moment that I have working for them. While this may seem like a lot of work, I have heard amazing stories about the impact that people who take their work seriously have on the success of their careers. My clients feel like they are important and that they can count on me to do the right thing.