If you’re looking at options on how to enter a new career in cybersecurity, you will likely want to get some sort of cybersecurity certification, as well as getting some hands on experience, to make yourself a credible prospect to employers. After looking at many programs, I earned my first cybersecurity certification last week after several weeks of studying by taking the exam for the CompTIA Security+ certificate.

I started my quest into cybersecurity certification last summer. I talked to some friends who worked in information technology to get their advice, and initially they pointed me towards the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certificate. This is the “gold standard” of cybersecurity certifications. However, upon reading more, I learned that you needed five years of specific experience in information technology to earn this certificate, so I did not qualify. I had been a CyberPatriot coach for seven years, but that was not sufficient.

The next option I looked into was taking a cybersecurity “boot camp.” These are intense training programs, typically requiring you to take and pass several courses over about six months time, and sometimes ending in preparation for a certificate exam. I looked in my home state at the University of Connecticut’s cybersecurity boot camp, a 24-week program costing $12,995. What I soon realized in examining the details of this program and others like it is that it is run and taught by a third party, not by the university faculty, and much of what is covered is available for free online or through training materials available at a much lower cost. This is not to say that it is a bad option, but only that you will pay a premium to be guided on what to study and to get the study materials that you could generally obtain yourself.

I ended up doing two things to earn my cybersecurity certification. First, I asked a friend in information technology to help me set up my own training program. Much of what I used was free training materials provided by CyberPatriot to coaches so that we become more knowledgeable. I especially took advantage of the Cisco Networking Academy course that used Cisco’s network simulation tool, Packet Tracer, so that I could learn the ins and outs of computer networks and get some hands on experience. The second thing I did was to purchase a CompTIA online training course ($79) and an exam preparation book ($59) for the Security+ certificate, a basic, entry level certification. I set up a schedule to go through this training over about six weeks. The book included an online practice exam tool, so after completing the training, I took several practice exams to prepare myself. The book even included a discount for the exam registration fee (almost $400). Everything paid off, as I passed the Security+ exam on my first attempt, all at a cost of just over $500.

Whatever you decide to do, be sure to take the time to see what options are available, then pick the option that is most likely to lead to your successfully earning a cybersecurity certificate. Good luck!