QuirkySpiceBush

Many hacking/netsec subReddits seem to recommend breaking into infosec by becoming a pentester. My impression is that this specialty represents a rather small (though undoubtedly sexy) slice of infosec employment. Do you agree?

What infosec specializations seem to be currently in demand relative to the number of qualified job-seekers?

Browse the sidebars in /r/asknetsec and /r/netsecstudents. There is good, solid advice there on getting started.

I don't have the gumption to map my own course, bushwhack through what I do and don't know, get stuck on fundamentals I may have missed, and keep it all relevant to the minute while everyone else is asking why I don't have the directions they won't give up.

You identified your own problem: lack of gumption. There's no way to say this without being offensive, but this comment comes across as extremely lazy and entitled. Look, you live an era of un-rivaled free information! The Internet is a wonder of technology and engineering, a product of countless years of human ingenuity and effort. And what's more, you're asking about a field of technology that is uniquely accepting of personal effort and self-education, so shelling out for an expensive university education isn't strictly necessary to succeed.

So griping that someone won't spoon-feed you the information you're looking for is really self-defeating. You can do this - just put in the effort. The path is there.

Sorry, I left out the prerequisite helpdesk/admin work because I figured it was assumed. At least on /r/AskNetsec and /r/netsecstudents, many people seem to be working toward pentesting as their first "real" security-oriented job.