sjra

Thanks - I do believe I can learn anything given enough time, just didn't think there were employers who would give me that time, so I was going to go away and study by myself and practise for another year or so before applying. Maybe I have more to offer at this point than I thought.

I got stuck at the beginning because I didn't know what endianness was, and there was no help or hint about it in-game - but after that it was just fun challenges at just the right pace for me, with enough hints to know what to google and what to try. Getting stuck is fine, as long as you're too stubborn to give up :)

Thanks tptacek, I'm really glad to hear that! (The first part, not the second!) That's really enough? I find it hard to believe, as that is not at all what I see in job ads, and everyone I follow and read and learn from seems to know so much. I was even going to hold off trying Jailbreak until I'd done more learning and practising. But will take heart from what you said and see what I can find. Thanks again (and for Microcorruption) - looking forward to Jailbreak!

Finished this a while ago - it was great fun, and I learned a lot.

I understand Square/Matasano ran it to hire people at the time - could anyone tell me if having completed it means I can be considered able to do a job in the field, and someone worth hiring? Or is the CTF just an introduction to the field? I have been doing a lot of learning since, and understand there is a vast (and endlessly fascinating) amount to learn beyond what's in the CTF - but what level do I need to be at before I consider applying for jobs? I remember reading that Matasano used to send candidates books to read and learn from as part of the interview process (which just sounds like my dream company) - as someone who would happily learn whatever it takes during the interview process and on the job, what level do I need to be at before I even consider applying?