That’s when I decided to give Information Technology a try. I enrolled in the Network Administration program at DeVry University. At the time, I had no real experience beyond basic HTML and being the “IT guy” for my parents. Luckily, DeVry’s program was Cisco-based, and that gave me a foundation in networking.
Breaking in:
After earning my Associate’s degree, I found the job hunt brutal—every “entry level” role wanted experience. I noticed a pattern: interviews often asked desktop support and TCP/IP questions, I had the networking questions down but the gap for me was end user system troubleshooting. So I picked up the CompTIA A+ study guide on Amazon, read it cover to cover, and suddenly I could answer those questions confidently. That landed me my first IT support role.
Once I got in, my networking knowledge set me apart. I was tracing cables, terminating connections, installing switches, and troubleshooting LAN issues right out of the gate. For the first five years, I jumped between small companies (because raises rarely came) and grew my salary by moving jobs every 12–18 months.
Leveling up:
The big break came when I earned my Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA). That was my first role over $50K. From there, I moved into more challenging positions, eventually pivoting into cybersecurity. Along the way, I earned a Master’s Degree in Cybersecurity and a few certifications like Linux+, AWS Solutions Architect Associate, CISSP, CISA, and ISA from the PCI Security Standards Council.
Over time, I worked roles ranging from IT Support Technician to Director of Information Security.
Advice for Building a Career in Tech Today
1. Getting a Job in a Competitive Market
When the market is flooded with competition and limited job openings, you need to find ways to stand out. For me, it was about diversifying my knowledge just enough to land my first role.
- Be willing to do the jobs no one else wants—that approach works at every level.
- Breaking in: Look for onsite roles with helpdesk or support in the title. These positions give you countless reps troubleshooting the basics, and those reps pay off 100x later in your career.
- Moving up: If you’re already in tech and looking for that raise or promotion, take on the projects others left behind or never finished. Completing them shows initiative and makes you stand out when leadership looks at who to promote.
2. Breaking Through the Noise
One of the biggest challenges in tech today isn’t the lack of resources—it’s the overload. New languages, frameworks, and certifications are pushed daily by influencers and vendors. It’s easy to get distracted.
- My advice: choose a path, double down, and ignore the noise.
- Plot the role you want—not just the next one, but the senior role you’d like to have someday. Ask yourself: “I want to work at X type of company, implementing Y type of technology. What’s the entry-level role that gets me there?”
- Once you know the path, map your education track. Some roles require degrees, others require portfolios, some need certifications. Figure out what your track demands.
- Execute relentlessly. Don’t abandon your Red Hat cert halfway through just because “everyone’s switching to serverless” on social media. Hiring managers notice execution far more than hype-chasing.
3. Staying Relevant and Competitive
The tech industry moves fast, and in a tough economy, it moves even faster. Staying competitive means you can’t stop learning.
- For entry-level professionals, I strongly recommend earning a professional-level certification within your first 5 years.
- Back it up with labs, projects, or blogs you can show in interviews.
- You don’t need a new certification every year—but you do need continuous growth. Read, build, test, experiment.
- Build your personal brand, show case your work as you are progressing on LinkedIn or other popular platforms that have a tech community (networking will land you roles faster than applying will)
This is non-negotiable if you want to survive the waves of layoffs and market swings.
Final Thoughts
Technology will always have high salaries and high demand, but only for professionals who are willing to grow with it. Degrees and certifications alone won’t cut it. The real differentiator is your willingness to keep learning, finish what you start, and take on challenges others avoid.
In a booming market, everyone has success stories. But in a tough economy, the ones still standing are the ones who treated their career as a long-term investment.