From Dead-End Jobs to a Career in Cybersecurity: Theron’s C|EH Certification Journey That Landed Him a Job at the DoD and a Fortune 500 Company:

Theron Kennedy

Title: Cyber Countermeasures Analyst
Company: Leidos
Country: United States

Are you stuck in a dead-end job and looking to jumpstart your career in cybersecurity? Look no further than Theron Kennedy’s inspiring journey! When Theron first started out, he faced the same struggles many of us do. But with hard work, determination, and a Certified Ethical Hacker (C|EH) certification, he was able to break into the cybersecurity field and never looked back. From the government offices in Vicksburg, Mississippi, to thriving in the fast-paced world of cybersecurity, Theron’s C|EH certification opened doors he never thought possible. And now, in this exclusive interview, he shares his secrets to success and how you too can take your career to the next level with C|EH!

Is C|EH Worth It?

And for promotions, the C|EH helped. It got me more money each time than I’ve ever asked in the past for raises. There’s nothing but good things from the certification, and there’s a great membership that comes with the C|EH: CodeRed

What caught your attention about the C|EH program?

When I was first getting into cybersecurity, my first job opportunity was in Vicksburg, Mississippi, working for the government there,

and they required a C|EH certification for me to get the first job.

It was after doing a bunch of dead-end jobs, and I was finally about to get into a position that was in my degree field for cybersecurity. They required the C|EH, so I looked up a school that was online in Georgia, and that’s called CED Solutions. They had an instructor named Eric Reed, associated with EC- Council, and it was an amazing course, doing everything hands-on, seeing all the tech life happening for yourself. And this got me through to pass the certification tests and get the certification within the week. It was a bootcamp course. And after that, I went to Vicksburg, Mississippi and started my career.

How did the C|EH benefit your career?

The C|EH got me started in the cybersecurity realm of jobs, which opened so many opportunities for me. It helped me to progress into better positions in this field.

The C|EH has helped me a lot with the knowledge and the capabilities hands-on, doing everything I need for all these cybersecurity jobs out here, especially on the blue team looking for what you need to look for when you’re blocking attacks and detecting attacks. I owe the C|EH a lot as it got me into this great career field. Thank you.

How recognized is the C|EH in your organization and the industry? 

Everybody in my current office has C|EH working for the position that we have now. The C|EH was recognized in my old job, and everybody had it.

It is regarded as one of the essential certifications to get by the government, and it’s a great course you learn.

The most out of any other certification, everything is just hands-on, and you’re learning so much about the attacks

and how to perform an attack, and what you’re looking for, like indicators. There’s nothing but good things.

Did the C|EH help you in any way to either get higher pay, get a promotion, get a job you wanted, etc.? 

Yeah, it did. As I said before, my first job was in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and they required the C|EH. And thankfully, when I took this course with CDH Solutions, the

C|EH gave me enough knowledge and hands-on experience to know what I was doing.

When I got the new job and knew what they were talking about, including keywords, I just needed a second certification while I was there. So that helped me get this second set of applications, which would keep me in that same position. And I stayed there for two and a half years, working at one job. And for promotions, it helped. The

C|EH got me more money each time than I’ve ever asked in the past for raises. There is nothing but good things from the certification;

a great membership comes with the C|EH. Also, you can use all the EC-Council resources, like CodeRed, to keep your continuing education going. There’s nothing but good things with this.

How has the C|EH certification impacted you?

The C|EH has impacted me by getting me into cybersecurity. I got into the field and started working my first job, then my second, and now I’m about to go on to my third. The

C|EH has given me a better quality of life since I was working dead-end jobs before, and I’m a lot better off now than without the C|EH.

It’s also given me better education in cybersecurity and knowledge about this field and all the hands-on attacks that come with it.

How has the C|EH certification impacted you?

The C|EH has impacted me by getting me into cybersecurity. The field is working my first job, my second about to go on to my third.

It’s given me a better quality of life since I was working dead-end jobs before, and I’m a lot better off now than I was without the C|EH.

It’s also given me better education in cybersecurity and knowledge about this field and all the hands-on attacks that come with it.

Did the C|EH help you give back to the community in any way whatsoever?

The C|EH allowed me to give back to the community by teaching at the bootcamp for the University of Utah. And this is a way for me to give back to the community by introducing new students and people coming into the field of cybersecurity and getting them ready to fill holes. The workforce so severely needs more people to complete all the jobs we have in cybersecurity right now. This includes the government and the civilian work world—there are just not enough people. So training and guiding others into the field is how to give back to the community. 

What was your favorite part of the C|EH program? Please explain why?

My favorite part about the C|EH program was the class with CED Solutions and the instructor Eric Reed. That was the best aspect for me, as was doing everything hands-on, learning all the different things with my classmates, and going over it after class with them while we were back at the hotel. This made the C|EH even better for me.

Knowing that there’s an instructor that knows everything that you could ever ask about this course or any of the aspects of cybersecurity was my favorite aspect.

And the hands-on approach is how I can learn instead of just staring at a board or PowerPoint, trying to scrape something off for me to remember later. The C|EH course is a great thing to have.

Do you attribute any part of your success to the EC-Council? If so, do you have a message for the team at EC-Council?

Yeah, I owe everything to EC-Council. I mean, they got me into my dream job. After college, I had a hard time transitioning from the military. I was in the Coast Guard before transitioning into school and then out of school into dead-end jobs and finding the job I wanted.

And thanks to EC-Council, their C|EH certification, and their instructors, I got my dream job.

So, they’re doing great. And now, with this code red stuff coming out, it’s great having all these resources for continued education. I am working on CHFI right now. So, there’s nothing but more and more things you can learn from EC- Council, and I look forward to doing as much as possible. They’re doing great, thank you.

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