Career Advice?
This is a crosspost from r/ITCareerQuestions and I was hoping to have a few more answers from this sub. Idk if this type of post is allowed here, but please let me know if I have to take it down and I will do so.
I have a job offer for a full-time support role position offering 72k, benefits, and is 100% remote. However, I just recently got offered another opportunity which is a security apprenticeship that pays around $20/hr, 20 hrs/week, and will last about a year and a half. Here are some brief information about both opportunities:
The support role is focused on maintaining and supporting manufacturing applications with a focus on project management and data analysis for certain tasks. It also requires around 25% travel while also dealing with customer/client interactions.
The apprenticeship is a security apprenticeship where I will be working with a client for a year and a half, managing and assessing their overall IT security. I will also have an experienced employee guiding me throughout the apprenticeship. The role is also remote/hybrid depending on the client. However, after the apprenticeship, there is no guarantee that I will be offered a job with the client.
I'm a recent college graduate and only have my CompTIA Security+. My career goal is to eventually land a job in cybersecurity. I don't really have much experience going for me besides working for an MSP for a year.
I'm not sure if the support role is better considering I'm still fairly new to IT, and the pay and duties may be a good foot in the door for me, or if I should pursue the apprenticeship instead to sort of jumpstart my future career into cybersecurity? I was thinking if I do stay in the support role, I may be able to pivot into app security or something similar in the future?
Details about the Support role are as follows:
Manufacturing Monitoring Systems Support
- Work with various Manufacturing Solutions applications to provide team member support and assistance as required by troubleshooting and resolving issues.
- Evaluate software performance
- Identify any issues with current systems and collaborate with other departments to identify solutions to improve/optimize systems and processes
- Act as an Admin for Manufacturing Solutions supported system applications
- Collaborate with vendors, IT, and managers to identify and resolve any issues, while also providing feedback.
- Present the analysis of all issues weekly to present in conference calls/PowerPoint Presentations to identify any issue resolution techniques, common trends, etc.
Project Planning
- Assist in new manufacturing projects through planning, budgeting, tracking, etc.
- Work with multiple departments and vendors to create documentation for new software and update existing software
- Create documents to be used in plant and new hire training.
- Work on special projects as assigned by the Manufacturing Applications Manager.
- Project Documentation and Feedback
- Provide follow-ups and record project feedback from the plants.
- Document the conclusion of projects and include learnings/ongoing action items such as unresolved issues.
- Manufacturing Analysis
- Work with both Plants and Corporate teams such as Data Analytics to develop detailed analysis reports to assist data-driven decision making.
Edit: Thank you everyone for your responses, I have decided to go forward with the support role