Why I Traded a Wrench for a Keyboard (And What Blue collar Taught Me About IT)
If you had told me five years ago that I’d be working in a Network Operations Center for the U.S. Air Force, I probably would have laughed while wiping commercial grime off my hands.
My working journey didn't start behind a glowing monitor. Before I transitioned into tech, I spent years in the blue-collar trades. I started out as a commercial painter, moved into commercial and residential plumbing, and eventually became a master appliance repair technician.
Crawling under houses, lugging heavy appliances up flights of stairs, and fixing antique appliances builds a certain kind of character. It also taught me a few life lessons that I use every single day in the security world.
The Push (And a Little Bit of Sibling Rivalry)
By the time I realized that heavy manual labor was taking a serious toll on my body, I knew I needed an exit strategy, I just had no idea what it was. Enter my younger brother.
He suggested I get into IT. Truthfully, my immediate thought was that I was way too "dumb" for that sort of thing, or just not naturally smart enough for computers. To prove a point, he came over and walked me through some of what he did on a daily basis. I couldn't believe it. And to be completely honest? He was making more money than me doing it. Cue some serious, highly motivating sibling jealousy.
So, I started researching IT. It was a complete disaster at first. I had no idea where to start or what to learn. It felt like standing in front of a firehose, just a massive sea of information with absolutely no one to guide me.
Ironically enough, I stumbled across TryHackMe’s Advent of Cyber event while digging around online. And just like that, I was hooked. I spent literally every single day on that platform, grinding away until I eventually worked my way into the top 1% of users out of over 3 million people. Yeah, basically no life for a while, lol.
Trial by Fire: Help Desk and the Utah MSP
Pretty quickly, I realized a glaring blind spot: I sucked at networking. Like, really bad. The first time I hear CIDR notation, I seriously thought it was a drink….. ya.
To fix it, I decided to take the plunge and a massive pay cut, to take a job as a Help Desk technician. Honestly? Dealing with upset, potentially angry customers was a breeze. Nothing new there. In fact, it was way easier than the trades because I could hide behind a screen hahah.
But it was a trial by fire. I was the very first person hired at the MSP I was working for here in Utah. That meant I had absolutely no one to lean on, no senior tech to ask for help, and no one to just double-check my work to make sure I wasn't breaking things. I had to do my absolute best to research and find the answers while I was actively on the phone or responding to an email, just hoping I could figure it out in time to remote into their machine before the phone rang.
It worked. Within six months, I was closing 30+ tickets a day on average. Eventually, the company hired more people. I trained them, set up their accounts, their desks, and gave them everything they needed to succeed. I took a particular liking to one of the new hires, took him under my wing, and taught him all my "cheat codes." By his second week, he was already closing 20+ tickets a day!
The Sentryview Sauna and the Cert Grinding Game
Unfortunately, there wasn't much of an opportunity for me to grow into a dedicated networking role there, so I kept looking. I eventually landed an interview with Sentryview Systems—literally while I was down in Florida doing a network install. Talk about being in a sauna everywhere you go down there, my goodness.
Somehow, by the grace of God, I beat out 7 other people interviewing and landed the job.
My first year with Sentryview, I was able to knock out 8 certifications. Truthfully, it just turned into a game for me, a fun challenge. But I didn't just want any old multiple-choice exams. I actively chased certs that had a practical, hands-on aspect to them. I wanted proof that I could actually go in and do the thing: configure that network device, or exploit that vulnerability to get something I shouldn't be able to touch.
Ready for the Next Chapter
That hands-on focus paid off. I now feel incredibly confident in my networking knowledge and skills. Today, I’m proud to be working as a NOC II with the U.S. Air Force on their RVA program, where I get to hone my operational skills every single day.
I might be technically new to the cybersecurity world, but my blue-collar past gave me the grit and people skills to de-escalate any situation, and my IT journey has built the technical foundation. I'm finally ready to make the jump into a dedicated cybersecurity role.
This blog is a space to document my ongoing journey, share what I’m learning, and connect with good people. If you want to talk shop, swap stories about transitioning from the trades, or just chat over a strong cup of coffee, I’d love to connect.
