I’m 19 and graduating this summer with a Bachelor’s in Cybersecurity. My only prior work experience is working at Best Buy last summer and in fast food in high school. I obtained my Security+ certification earlier this year, and have been slowly working towards the CCNA, although my heavy summer course load is going to make it difficult for me to pass the exam before I graduate.

My long-term ambition is to become a network security engineer at a FAANG. Obviously to get this role, I would need experience as a network engineer first. However, with where I’m at in my life and the current job market, I don’t think that I would be able to get hired to a network engineering role out of college.

Therefore, I’ve been thinking about reorienting to pursuing a help desk or other equivalent entry-level IT role, specifically in my hometown. I’ve looked at various titles, but I’m not sure which are most strategic for moving toward network engineering. I have a few questions about these roles.

• What job titles should I be looking for?

• How should I angle my resume and LinkedIn to maximize my employability for these roles?

• What should I be doing between now and graduation to prepare for these roles and get hired?

• If I’m graduating at the beginning of August, when should I start applying to these roles?

TL;DR: Graduating in Cybersecurity this summer. Have Security+, working on CCNA. Aiming for network security long-term, but considering help desk roles for now. Need advice on job titles to search, resume/LinkedIn tips, and application timeline.