I’m amped up, I’m pumped, 2022 is going to be the year I break into IT full time. It’s going to take a lot of work, but I’m determined. I’m also not going into this blindly, I have an idea of what local employers are looking for and what is necessary to allow me to financially make the jump from my current career to IT. 

CompTIA Security + (SYO-601)

I’ve had several conversations with IT professionals in the past year that have given me a lot of really good advice. Resoundingly, the #1 suggestion is to complete the CompTIA Security + certification. Security is one of the most important things you can know about dealing with technology today. You can rip from the headlines daily horror stories about data breaches, hacks, and ransomware attacks.

CCNP Enterprise (ENCOR) with Concentration in Designing Cisco Enterprise Networks (ENSLD)

The Cisco certification tracks have changed a lot since I took my CCNA R&S in early 2000. That said, working with networks is something I truly enjoy doing. Obtaining the Cisco CCNP Enterprise with Design Concentration will give me advanced-level skills and knowledge that will only help me in my path and goes a long way towards my goals of landing a position in the pay range I’m seeking. The concentration in design will also help me in pursuing further certification and experience in cloud and virtualization.

VMware Data Center Virtualization (VCTA-DCV) 

The VMware VCTA-DCV truly plants me into virtualization with the industry standard, VMware. VMware is one of those technologies I’ve seen on a lot of local job postings and would have never guessed it would be, but it’s nice to know that local employers are not just implementing cloud, but on-prem virtualization as well.

Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104)

Microsoft Azure and the Cloud are here to stay, and with such tight integration into their Active Directory, I’ve seen firsthand a lot of enterprise-level companies go the Azure route simply because of the ease of integration into their existing systems. Microsoft Azure Administrator will allow me to be able to walk the walk and talk the talk with Microsoft’s cloud products will certainly make me a more marketable commodity.

As I’ve said, it’s a very lofty set of goals I’ve set for myself, but if I put my heart and soul into it, like I always do when it comes to technology, I know I can achieve greatness! Be sure to follow along with me on my progress here on my blog. I’ll be sure to keep everyone up to date.