Zero To Engineer

This week, Microsoft pushed fixes for 120 vulnerabilities. 29 of them were rated critical, allowing remote code ex*****on.

If you're considering a career change into IT or cybersecurity, here's the takeaway: those patches don't apply themselves. They have to land on real networks, configured by real engineers who understand what they're touching.
This is why network engineering keeps showing up in cybersecurity job listings in 2026. Companies want people who understand both sides — how the network is built and how to defend it. That combination is rare, and it's what the highest-paying roles in IT are screening for right now.

When you picture cybersecurity work, what do you picture? Phishing emails, or routing tables and patch deployment? The honest answer changes what you should study first.

Most people pick their first IT certification wrong — and then waste six months on it.

The fix is simple. I call it role-first, cert-second.

Step 1: Pick the role you want first. Help desk, junior network engineer, SOC analyst, cloud engineer. Pick one. You can always pivot, but you need a target.

Step 2: Pull 20 real job posts for that role. Real listings, not articles about listings.

Step 3: Make a list of every cert that shows up as "required" or "preferred" in those 20. Count the repeats.

Step 4: Start with the most-mentioned cert. The market just told you what's actually being hired. You're not guessing anymore.

This single shift changes everything. Most people skip it because it takes one afternoon. That afternoon saves them six months of chasing the wrong cert.

If you're early in your IT path, this is the unlock.

What role are you targeting first? Drop it in the comments and I'll tell you where I'd start.

Saw a stat this morning that I can't shake: there are 750,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs in the U.S. right now. The average pay is just under $136K. And most of those roles no longer require a 4-year degree.

If you've ever wondered whether the IT path is realistic for someone starting from scratch, this is your answer. The demand is real. The pay is real. And the door is open in a way it's never been before.

If you're sitting with the question "is it too late for me to switch into IT?", it isn't.

The hardest part is deciding.

What's holding you back? Tell me in the comments.

💬 Comment "LEVELUP" for the blueprint to break into IT in months, not years.