[00:00] and it's been two years since I've made a video on this. This roadmap is aimed at getting you a job in it fast and on the path to landing
[00:13] Six figures is absolutely within reach and you'll be surprised at how fast you just hard work on a clear path and also no college. You don't need it. Now, They're for everyone.
[00:27] The skills you learn here are foundational to it no matter what path you go What I mean is that you can go down many different paths. but I will be talking about one of the most exciting ones, the coolest ones,
[00:39] the ones you see on tv. Cybersecurity specifically. How do you become a hacker? but you don't necessarily have to drive all the way down in the same order.
[00:51] And just so you know, this roadmap is hacker approved. This is John Hammond approved. So here we go. Phase one. Actually, no, no Phase zero. Yeah,
[01:06] I want you to start applying for jobs right now. It feels a bit cart before horse, but lemme tell you, Now I know many of these entry-level IT help desk jobs.
[01:23] a help desk specialist in Houston, Texas. They want you to have some strong technical skills already, Alright, come here. Can I tell you a secret?
[01:38] I got my first IT job without a certification to my name or really any IT but I did have some fast food job experience and I was hungry not for fast food but for IT, for learning and proving that I could be of value to that company.
[01:51] that it's the first job for most people in it. It's entry level. I encourage you to apply for jobs above that.
[02:03] just getting started, help desk is an amazing place to be. You'll learn so much and you're not going to be there for very long unless you I actually had fun going to work and I really didn't want to leave.
[02:18] polish up that resume for what you want to do, not what you have done. I worked at Starbucks, but you better believe on that resume I put on there,
[02:30] the printer's broken again. I got you guys also on my resume. I was very upfront about what I was working towards, what I was studying. I do have a video where I broke down some really awesome resumes and reviewed
[02:46] Why are we doing this? Why are we getting a job immediately before we learn anything? This reason, Nothing looks better on your resume than experience. Also,
[02:59] what you learn on that job will be more valuable than anything else you study. Start applying for jobs right now, right after this video. Seriously, jobs until you get that job. And guess what? It's okay if you don't get it.
[03:15] You're learning so much in this process and you're meeting people also just they're looking for will teach you a lot. And also kind of a footnote,
[03:27] one more thing you want to do is start networking the social kind, Start following people on Twitter and get into Discord and start talking to Start talking to people who are above you, who are mentors.
[03:41] Most of the jobs I've gotten have been through relationships that I've built. Might feel like a waste of time right now because all you want to do is learn it So if you're in a place right now to where you can get a job and start working
[03:58] in it, if that's really what you want to do, phase zero, man, say it with me. phase one now I don't want you to move on until you've applied for at least two I'd be so excited to hear that and how encouraging will that be for other
[04:13] people? Just do that. Now, phase one compared to my last video in 2023, but it's still going to be about foundations developing those core IT skills. career. You'll see many of these on the roadmap.
[04:28] This essentially is the help desk certification that's going to help you land but here's what you're going to learn and actually there's a new one they just came out with launching Spring 2025 exciting. But the A plus is an IT buffet.
[04:44] which is great because when you first get started in it, you may not know which path you want to go down and there are a billion paths. Programming may be a bit dry,
[04:57] Now for most people, getting the A plus certification is not easy. It's a lot of information contained in two exams each costing you $253 and yes, I'm not sure what the 2025 exams will cost. We'll see.
[05:13] this is a lot and that was the case for me. I even failed one exam and had to retake it paying more money. That hurt. Can't you just go study the knowledge, learn it, save some money? Yeah, you can,
[05:29] How are you going to prove that to the hiring manager? They tell people, Hey, if someone has this cert, they know everything. So hr, He can probably do this help desk job. It gets you past that HR filter. So TLDR,
[05:47] but it'll help you get that foot in the door and land that first job. There are free and paid options for free. You can't beat Professor Messer.
[05:59] Now for a paid option, there's IT Pro tv, which I love. Link below. Actually now it's called IT Pro and also this will be a shameless plug for me. but it's going to be kind of different. You'll see. Just keep in mind,
[06:16] it is still in the building phase and part of this new thing, my academy, a training series that I'm pouring my blood, sweat, and coffee into. career and started learning.
[06:31] Link below. thing awesome. And yes, I will be covering the 2025 compt a plus exams. knowledge, but we're not quite done yet.
[06:46] This is where my roadmap's going to start being a little weird compared to 2023, Now this is optional because I don't want you to be overwhelmed, I want you to start learning Linux and not just Linux.
[07:00] specifically either Python or go Python's the favorite. getting the A plus is still your main focus, but I want you to start becoming familiar with Linux and Python.
[07:14] Saturdays you'll spend 30 minutes learning Linux and 30 minutes learning I don't really care what you do as long as you do something.
[07:27] There are a bajillion out there for Linux. You could watch one episode a week for Python. I have a Python for everyone. Well, you're going to see this everywhere at every step of your journey,
[07:42] start learning it now again, even if it's just a little bit. We're not also in phase one. I want you to start building out your home lab.
[07:54] Don't just learn the theory, take notes and memorize things. No, when you're learning about virtual machines in the a plus in your home lab,
[08:06] Install Ubuntu as part of your Linux practice. Replace your home router with PF sense. Install a DNS server. Most if not all of these things can be done for free and it's going to be this.
[08:20] I call these projects resume building moments because you know what else you're You're going to be applying for jobs if you don't already have one. When you deploy a DNS server into your home,
[08:34] put on your resume a project that you deployed a DNS server into your house. if you have a home lab, you look good. That communicates passion and drive.
[08:47] When I saw resumes or people were putting their own projects in their house on I love hiring those types of people that they are passionate about this. I know they're going to be thinking about this stuff and learning and growing.
[09:02] So if you can demonstrate that, oh my gosh. Now I know phase one, If all you can manage is the a plus during this time, that's fine.
[09:16] You can do these in order. Finish your A plus the Newsome, Lins and Python, It's up to you where you can do it all within one week. I'm estimating it'll take you roughly two to three months.
[09:29] how much time you have, but if you work hard, you can do it, should be good. Now on to phase two. Yes, we're finally moving on to phase two.
[09:41] It's kind of a cool brand name dibs. The focal point of this phase is gaining the security plus from CompTIA. Yes, really good on your resume, similar to the A plus,
[09:55] but here it's security focused. They might be thinking, Chuck, Why do I have to learn this? Listen, security will be part of every IT role you have. The more you know about it,
[10:09] but we're giving you enough knowledge and enough credentials to find in land an This looker is going to do two things for you. Knowledge, there's a ton of it.
[10:22] you're going to find out about roles and paths, but just cybersecurity that you didn't know existed. It's a big world. Number two, this is definitely a checkbox cert. What does that mean?
[10:35] this is one of the most popular certs for people who want to work for the government in any capacity because it satisfies the DOD 85 70 directive, The security plus is the easiest way to check that box.
[10:50] Currently the security plus will cost you $404 and that's just one exam. you can learn the knowledge within the security plus without getting the certification, but the certification looks really good on your resume.
[11:05] free Professor master coming in, he has an entire security plus course for free on YouTube for a paid option. I just really do like them. And full disclosure,
[11:19] meaning that when you sign up you don't pay anymore, Now while the focal point of phase two is security, very important in this phase. And because we're in the security phase,
[11:34] There's a free site called Over the wire. which when you go through it will teach you a ton of Linux basics. It's amazing, no surprise is more coding Python at this phase, keep learning the basics,
[11:52] a project. Think something that you could add to your resume. Another resume building moment. One idea is to build a simple network scanner, similar to phase one, don't stress about the Python and Linux side of things.
[12:09] Focus on security plus get that on your resume. But if can, the more Linux and Python you learn, And at this point I'm going to start sounding like a broken record.
[12:22] what you're learning in the security plus what you're learning through Linux and Automate some things with Linux and Python. Just do something and add it to your resume. And finally,
[12:37] And always keep that resume up to date. probably thinking. I would be thinking the same thing. Chuck, How much do I do in my home lab? I'm doing that on purpose.
[12:53] But if you'd like me to make a more detailed roadmap where I'm like at this If you'd like to see that, let me know. That may be a video I make in the future. So phase two, two to three months,
[13:07] It's time for a coffee break and this coffee break in this video is sponsored by which I'm actually really excited to talk about because I've been using Bamboo Labs forever. They're one of the first 3D printers I ever bought.
[13:22] building moments, the chance for you to shine and show off your home labs. three years ago and I bought this 3D printer. I hated it.
[13:34] And the printing was slow, so I'm like there's got to be something better. I don't think I worked for two weeks. I would just stand there and watch things.
[13:47] Print Bamboo Labs is one of those ones that it's advanced enough to make you Like someone in my church, he just bought a 3D printer for his kids. they bought this one here. The Bamboo Labs a one combo.
[14:03] This thing is ridiculous, super fast, easy to set up. They're working on it. And the deal on this thing at the time of this video, it's $489 for the printer and then this a MS light.
[14:17] What that means is that you can do multicolor prints, you can design your model, slice it with a bunch of colors and it'll just change it out for you. Now back to home lab stuff. You can make your home lab that much more great.
[14:29] a bit more functional with a 3D printer. So when I did my travel mass video, my SSDs and everything printed that sucker. ideas. This raspberry pie case, sure you can buy a case online,
[14:46] It's SSD Mount for maybe whatever server you're going to be building, I've actually printed a few of these in the past. you'll probably end up having a rack.
[15:01] They have this thing called Maker World. you select one of these, printer, which you used to have to do. No,
[15:15] So thanks again to Bamboo Labs for sponsoring this video. check out my link below and now back to the roadmap. just know that in phase one and phase two should also be continuing with
[15:30] networking, social networking, keep talking to people, keep rubbing shoulders. you never know who is going to be responsible for getting you that next job, make friends, make contacts. Now speaking of networking,
[15:42] networking is the bread and butter of it. you'll find out that you love to know it. Networking is the best part. I mean you saw it coming, right? But you don't want to skip this.
[15:57] Now with networking similar to our other phases, We actually have a couple of options. Now, if you saw my last video, My favorite networking certification is the Cisco CNA.
[16:11] This sucker right here is probably one of the best certifications you can get and put on your resume period. This chumps 'em all at this level. Anyway, but there is another option I want to shout out. And that's the CompTIA Network.
[16:25] why would you choose one over the other? Well, Cisco, it's harder. But the CNA is more valuable probably because it's harder and demonstrates
[16:41] And one of the reasons it's so practical is because it's Cisco focused with the certification, you're going to learn networking inside and out, You'll be learning about their automation products, their security products.
[16:56] path or network admin path. But if you're going somewhere else, CNA might be a bit too much for you. That's where the Network plus comes in. pick up networking knowledge, learning what a router is, a switch subnetting,
[17:12] they'll both look great on your resume. CCNA will make you look better. Also, everywhere. A ton of companies use them. The Network plus will cost you $369.
[17:26] So it actually is the better deal even though it's harder. Now, where do you go to learn? Where can you learn this stuff for Network Plus, professor Messer co and Clutch has a free network plus course on YouTube for
[17:43] I'm actually really excited to tell you about this. IT Labs on YouTube and he has an entire course CCNA for free,
[17:55] which is kind of insane because the CC NA is very, very hard to teach. He also lives in Japan, which is very cool. After the paid option, this is what I'm excited about. I mentioned my academy earlier, my new thing,
[18:08] I'm not building it alone and I don't think I've publicly announced this to I've partnered with a guy who taught me networking. I know he's the guy who got me so excited about it and really he's responsible
[18:24] for what I'm doing today. His name is Jeremy Charra. He's A-C-C-I-E. He's where I learned how to teach and he has created the most amazing CCNA course, the best one he's ever made on our academy. So similar to the A plus,
[18:37] but you can go there right now and become part of this as we're building it. We're building it, doing. It is going to be something different. That's all I can tell you now.
[18:54] and then you probably saw this coming more Python and more Linux. try to make your Linux and Python study be networking focused. which largely involves doing things with Python,
[19:11] logging into routers and switches and automating things they can do. It's very fun. Set aside two to three hours a week and just spend time with it. Continue to get familiar with the Linux terminal programming and Python and just
[19:24] let those skills compliment the main focus, which here is networking. Again, doing this is going to make you super human. You're going to be amazing. And of course in this phase we'll be doing more home.
[19:37] But here I want to give you a challenge. We mentioned in phase one, replacing your router with PF sense as an option. And this phase, Replace your home network with another network.
[19:52] This could be putting a PF sense router in installing Unify. monitor your internet quality, be really nerdy about it, slap that onto a resume and keep applying for jobs. And then of course,
[20:08] Now how long this phase will take you depends on your certification choice. Did you choose Network plus CCNA will obviously take longer because it is harder. I would estimate two to four months to complete phase three,
[20:23] this is a very aggressive timeline, being very consistent with your study, don't feel bad if you have to extend this out. Just put a date in there, be consistent. Show up every day. Now if you get to phase three and you're done,
[20:39] You've laid the most incredible IT foundation and from here you can go anywhere, pick any path. I believe you'll succeed. You'll be a rock star. we've got just a little bitty phase to make sure you're where you need to be.
[20:55] And that's phase 3.5. What? Yeah, no track. Track with me here. We're going to come down here and go to phase 3.5. It looks so weird. 3.5 this phase is called get that job.
[21:08] then I want your full-time study to be get a job because if you've gone through you've got more than enough to land a job and don't beat yourself down.
[21:20] I would pour all of your efforts into doing this. So keep learning, Keep sharpening the skills you've learned and keep adding to your home lab.
[21:34] Keep applying for jobs, keep going to interviews, practice, keep networking. when you're at the point of phase 3.5, you can apply for many,
[21:47] many types of jobs. The CNA, you look really good. and you've been adding to your resume with projects, you look really good, you can apply for those and you're competitive. Now after phase 3.5,
[22:04] Hopefully by this time you've kind of figured out what you like or what you want Maybe networking was your calling system. Administration. You learn some things about cloud and cloud sounds awesome. Go do that.
[22:18] I cannot cover them all. Did I just say alas? I did. I'm going with it. Right now I'm going to cover one path that is special to me because I'm going
[22:31] down it right now. And that's the hacking path, Ethical hacking pen testing. It has many names. It's not the only path in cybersecurity, it's just one of many,
[22:48] Hacking is a whole journey in and of itself. But to get started, I would target a cert, no surprise here. And actually three different certs.
[23:00] A couple I love are the EJPT or the pen test Plus, they're easier, and it'll dip your toe into what it means to be an ethical hacker, you have to know phase one, two, and three.
[23:16] Normally you're learning how to build it, protect it, defend it. Now you're having to reverse that thinking and go, Hey, how can I break it? The EJPT will be $249 including training for three months through INE because
[23:31] which is kind of awesome. I'd probably choose the EJPT. The PEN test plus will be $381, So if you're looking to put something on your resume, that will look good.
[23:48] I'm going to list here that will actually look good on your resume. Or at least they're starting to.
[24:00] The next one I would get the next phase of your journey would be the CPTS or the This is the one I'm working on right now. Academy modules to complete it. That's what they tell you. I feel like.
[24:15] this is the place you want to be. they were the place to go to practice hacking. very fun.
[24:28] So when they created their own academy and then a certification to go along with I was trying to find the pricing therapist. $490. I think that's just for the voucher. Now the CPTS is fairly new,
[24:44] which is probably the best hacking certification you can put on your resume, and that's the OSCP. Now, the OSCP is on my list to get, but I'm going with the CPTS first because it's a bit easier and I want to ease
[24:57] my way up to it. But for a long time, the OSEP has been the gold standard. and they have an exam bundle that'll cost you roughly 1600 bucks. But that includes the course 90 days of lab access in one exam attempt,
[25:11] which is extremely practical along with the CPTS and EJBT. But I think the OSEP is probably the most practical, if not the most difficult. you're going to be using lots of Linux and potentially lots of Python.
[25:25] you'll probably need a lot of these to be able to take the exam. What's interesting though is the OSCP has recently allowed you to use Chad GPT modern engineers and modern hackers are going to have AI right there.
[25:40] Will this be enough to get you a job as a pin tester? I think so. Don't wait to get your first hacking certification. Now one note about this particular phase, the hacking phase.
[25:58] then I would also try to sprinkle in some more hacking CTFs or capture the flag There's an amazing free CTF software out there called PICO ctf. Very beginner friendly and you can interject that at any phase doing CTFs and
[26:13] labs that are pertinent to the phase you're at so you don't get overwhelmed. your Python learning and will give you a feel for what A CTF feels like, CTFs are how people practice their hacking skills.
[26:26] It's a gamified attempt to hack something to capture a flag that's hidden behind security measures. But there is a vulnerability you have to exploit. Exploit. It's one of those words where you have to put emphasis on whether or not it's
[26:38] the map phases one through three, that's for everyone. Everyone in it will benefit from going through these phases and at every step be But now we're at the section where we're going to talk about shortcuts because
[26:54] I mean initially you'll want to follow it just so because as a beginner you probably don't know much, but you may not be a beginner. So this roadmap, make sure you have a good handle on the basics and the foundations.
[27:09] But there are points where you could skip a phase. Like phase one, You've been playing with Linux and Python, you know how to build a pc. Just start applying for jobs and move on to another phase.
[27:22] you don't need a certification, just skip ahead, jump into networking. better. You don't need it to gain the knowledge, But it's up to you whether or not you want to skip any phase. Just know that.
[27:38] Let's say you skip phases one and two and you just go straight to CC NA when you get your CCC NA. No one cares if you have your A plus or your network. Plus all they see is the CCC NA and they assume that everything else or at least
[27:50] which again is the goal of every single step when you get a job that may you may apply for a job that you think you'll never get,
[28:03] desk. And when you land that job, they may want you to learn something. which is a certification we didn't talk about because it is more specialist to
[28:16] But my point is that just change adapt to your circumstances and the Don't feel like you have to follow this just so, I don't mean a shortcut to knowledge, always spend the time to learn something,
[28:32] but if you can jump into a job you're not ready for and they just hired you, That's what most people do anyway. Now, what about college, university? I didn't feature that on my roadmap because I'm a big fan of doing it this way.
[28:51] I don't have a degree. I didn't need one. But you might need one or want one, It might be a very time consuming and expensive door, but it'll get you there. many of these degrees when you finish,
[29:07] They don't often include that in your curriculum. When you come out, you're going to be like, oh, I still need to get my CCNA and my security plus. That happens all the time. So my advice, if you want that degree,
[29:23] find a degree program that includes certifications as part of your curriculum. So for example, one I love is WGU or the Western Governor's University. Part of many of their IT degrees is C-C-N-A-A plus AWS
[29:35] It's like part of their final exam for the networking section of classes. You get a degree and you get certifications, you come out a rockstar. Yes, but if you want a degree, that's what I recommend.
[29:50] a little 2025 plan to get a job in it. Maybe a little bit of cybersecurity. So I did want to take a quick look starting off. He's saying, look,
[30:02] you should be studying Linux and Python early in the journey and then keep doing I completely a thousand percent agree with this. but absolutely I feel like using the Linux command line and at least scripting
[30:19] automating in one way or another, And so definitely worth starting as early as you can and still doing it all
[30:31] throughout. Those are skills that give you superpowers, not going to lie. And then Chuck goes into a lot about networking net plus versus CCC NA or I have to speak from just me and my experience.
[30:47] I don't know what CCC NA GOs darn is, truth be told. but I have not particularly needed a ton of in-depth, very granular networking insight and experience.
[31:02] I think from the hacking or cybersecurity sense, if you know, hey, what the heck IP addresses are, what a general cider, class C, class B, You don't need to be building out any VLANs or crafting and architecting a
[31:17] whole blown network. Next is on the hacking path. PENTEST plus maybe CPTS and OSCP. This is just John speaking. I don't know about EJPT these days.
[31:32] And I have not personally taken PENTEST Plus, so I don't feel like I have any authority to kind of speak on that as much. Pentest plus especially might give you a little bit more runway because any of
[31:48] the plus CompTIA certifications are just generally well-known. But I would consider OSCP still the crown jewel I'd suggest look, if that's what you want to go for it, if you want some intermediary steps,
[32:01] CPTS or any others that you're interested in can still be stepping stones. this is your target in mind and don't hesitate drive towards that. Ooh, the last one is spicy. His view on college, look, college,
[32:16] undergrad, school, university, whatever. I kind of agree with Chuck. It is not needed in the absolute strict sense of the words,
[32:28] but it can be extremely helpful to go through. It's subjective. It's super subjective to you and your case for anyone tuning in. You can crawl, and run just fine without a college degree or anything to kind of get your foot
[32:42] occupations and people that will employ you without a college degree if you prove your merit and competency. But it is an extra notch on your belt.
[32:54] Hey, you can get a little bit of a speed boost if you go for college. College can be good, but I don't think you need it a thousand percent.
[33:09] but times have changed and times are changing rapidly right now. What's going to happen with ai? Where are our jobs going to go? I don't know. But what we do know is that you need skills. The skills covered in this roadmap,
[33:26] and people still hire for those skills and I think they'll be in demand for a long time. And if they aren't, hey, you'll learn something anyway. And I know this roadmap ended up being very specific to hacking.
[33:38] more blue team, comment below. That's all I got. I'll catch you guys next time.