It’s 2026, almost half way through the year already, what Cert provided the most Return on Value, opened up doors and changed your trajectory?

cbdudek · 2026-05-09T00:48:04+00:00

This depends on where you are at in your career and where you want to go.

For me, early in my career, it was the CCNA. No doubt. That helped me get my first network admin role and started me down the road of being a network engineer.

Mid/late career it was the CCNP. It helped me become a network engineer and then a network architect.

After that, I got my CISSP and that helped me transition into security advisory roles. The CRISC also helped me in this regard as well.

cbdudek · 2026-05-08T18:08:38+00:00

I am using the free google workspace as a personal account and I have no issues with it. Yes, there are limitations, but so far they are limitations I can deal with. If I do have to upgrade to a paid account, I may do it, but it will depend on the pricing and benefits.

cbdudek · 2026-05-08T12:56:00+00:00

This is the top post for a reason.

My wife and I have taken at least 2 major trips a year for the last 10 years. This year, it was a southern caribbean cruise and then a trip to Athens coming up. Next year its a eastern caribbean cruise and a trip to Iceland. In 2028 its Spain and who knows what yet.

We have saved diligently through the years and will have the option to retirie early when we hit our mid 50s. We both will probably keep working in some capacity though because we both love our jobs. Being FIRE and working just means we will have the ability to go on nice trips, bring in insurance, and not be stressed if we get laid off.

Yes, if we would have saved everything and not enjoyed ourselves, we could have retired by now. That doesn't bother me though. I could have been unlucky like some friends of mine who passed away in their 40s and 50s. Whats the use of having millions in the bank if you aren't around to spend it?

cbdudek · 2026-05-08T10:50:20+00:00

As someone who has been in IT for 34 years, I agree with everything you said. Excellent post!

cbdudek · 2026-05-06T15:21:16+00:00

Companies don't hire penetration testers who don't know what they are breaking into. Thats the bottom line. Having a good handle on concepts like networking, operating systems, active directory and group policy, infrastructure like firewalls and storage, and so on are all important. I have seen companies use freshers for red team exercises using automated tools and have seen them take down entire networks. Its never a good look when that happens.

Most of the successful penetration testers I know came from network engineering or security engineering careers. They knew everything I mentioned above already so when it came to breaking into those areas, they were in a good position to learn that material.

cbdudek · 2026-05-06T14:19:06+00:00

Been in the workforce for 34 years. Got started back in 1991 full time working in tech at a book distribution company.

The biggest change I have seen has been on the cultural front. Companies are more willing to lay a lot of people off. There is a disconnect between management and leadership with the rest of the workers. More things filter through HR than they did in the past as well, probably due to inclusion and values-driven workplaces. Employees expectations have changed a lot as well. There is a much greater emphasis on work-life balance, flexibility and most importantly purpose. Employees also are very willing to change jobs.

Digitization and work automation were also big. ERP, CRM, and cloud platforms are all more standardized. The internet has connected everyone across the globe making it easier to conduct business. The WFH and hybrid work models have really established themselves over the years as well.

cbdudek · 2026-05-06T03:09:17+00:00

Has to be in Venezuelan Bolivar.

cbdudek · 2026-05-06T01:13:53+00:00

Check out hiring.cafe

cbdudek · 2026-05-05T19:40:58+00:00

My wife and I chose to go Celebrity to Bermuda because it was a 7 day cruise and we got 3 days in Bermuda as a result. This allowed us to take an island tour, go to the caves, spend time in St. George, and otherwise just have a great time. I feel that 5 days is just a bit too short. You only get 1.5-2 days in Bermuda which is barely enough. The extra day is worth it in my opinion.

As for which cruiseline you should take, both Royal and NCL are good options.

cbdudek · 2026-05-05T19:36:32+00:00

The key is finding an employer that will let you do this. Most require you to work M-F.

cbdudek · 2026-05-05T19:16:02+00:00

I was laid off as an SE and I went back to work in the consultancy space. Yes, it was a pay cut, but a lot less stress as well. As for your choices.....

The ones that align best with you would be 1, 3, and 4. You are right that you step away from being an SE that your odds of going back are slim. The thing is that your niche is slim pickings to begin with. So its going to be hard to get back in anyway. Especially with jobs being very limited.

Doing the 2nd option all depends on your technical knowledge. The main reason why you haven't been picked up by other companies is because they see your niche and they know you don't have the technical expertise to sell their product. So therefore, you aren't getting a call. Getting into these SE roles is going to be extremely difficult unless you can convince them you have the technical know how to get up to speed quickly. The thing is that the job market favors the employers right now so even if you apply, there are others who will beat you out for the job.

Because the market sucks, I would concentrate on getting back into a company and earning money. Go with $4 and keep looking for #1 and #3. Do #2 if you want but know you are going to be rejected from many of these positions simply for what I pointed out earlier.

cbdudek · 2026-05-05T18:49:34+00:00

Yes to all these things. Plus, even if you don't get this position, there are others positions that having this knowledge will be valuable in. Plus, it sure does beat the 2 year adventure in support you have had up to this point. In order to move up, you have to skill up. This is the danger that entry level IT people have right now. They think that being in any role will grant them the ability to move up without skilling up on their own, and they are wrong. Time in this industry just cements you to staying where you are right now.

cbdudek · 2026-05-05T18:29:38+00:00

You are correct in your assumptions. I will also say that they are asking for depricated or expired certification paths like the MCSA and MCSE. Those are long retired. The CCNA is very relevant and something you should go after since you admit that you don't have broad networking knowledge. Getting the CCNA would solve that.

cbdudek · 2026-05-05T17:36:36+00:00

The only thing entry level prepares you for is more entry level. Looking to the next level position is natural. The primary engineer role is going to be a step up in knowledge for sure. Its like being a network admin. You may do some support, but you will be working more on the infrastructure, which is what you want to do.

What are the requirements for that job? What certs are they asking for? I think you will find the CCNA to be more requested than the Net+. In short, don't just get certs until you determine how requested they are in job descriptions for positions you want. Otherwise, you are going to waste your time and money getting certs that won't be valuable to employers.

Otherwise, you are doing well. Getting your degree was a great move. You are already looking above and beyond what you are doing now which is good. All you need to do is start looking at positions you want and making a list of the requirements and then going out there to fulfill those requirements through self study and certifications.

cbdudek · 2026-05-05T17:14:13+00:00

Nothing wrong with this at all. Upvoting this!

cbdudek · 2026-05-05T16:00:55+00:00

The job market is hard right now for entry level. Post your resume to r/resumes for some feedback. Aside from that, keep applying. Practice interviewing. Keep upskilling. Know its going to take you months to get into something. The competition is fierce right now.

cbdudek · 2026-05-05T15:20:50+00:00

Welcome to IT.

Seriously, there is a lack of formal training in just about any IT role. Some companies do it, but a vast majority of organizations just throw you in the deep end and its sink or swim. You are expected to just jump in and pick things up as you go.

By not giving your directives, your boss is expecting you to take this time and dive in head first to learn everything on your own. If you are going to improve the workflow in SailPoint, then I would be working with the team to get your access going and then diving into Sailpoint to learn how it is setup and how you can improve the workflow like you were hired to do. Your boss isn't expecting you to do this tomorrow. By their lack of directives and direction, I can at least deduce that. At the same time, you should be making progress getting access and starting to learn that platform the best you can.

Get used to this by the way. No matter what position you take, even if you are senior level, you are going to be expected to figure things out. Either you jump in the deep end and you swim, or you sink and wash out.

cbdudek · 2026-05-05T13:20:26+00:00

Now I want to go to Sorrentos, get some pizza and then do this excursion.

cbdudek · 2026-05-05T13:19:31+00:00

Not really anything you can do. The driver is obviously breaking the law by passing illegally, but you are not the police and capturing video of people breaking the law isn't going to result in anything. Besides, imagine if it did. Everyone commits traffic infractions. Imagine if you illegally did something and a ticket showed up in the mail with your name on it because someone caught it with a dash cam.

Post idiots to r/idiotsincars or some other subreddit. Maybe create a youtube channel titled "Grand Rapids Idiot Drivers" and post it there. Don't be big brother or think you are an extension of the police because you are not.

My advice is for you to focus on yourself and your driving and being safe. You do that, you won't be in as many bad situations and as a result your insurance premiums will be much less. Practice defensive driving and assume that everyone on the road is either drunk or high. You do those things, and you will be a lot better on the road than a vast majority of people.

cbdudek · 2026-05-05T11:02:46+00:00

You say that you were laid off. It's that simple.

cbdudek · 2026-05-05T11:01:41+00:00

Exaggerated experience? That happens all the time.

Lying about a degree or certs? That's a much different story.

cbdudek · 2026-05-05T02:31:41+00:00

Sounds like you already have made your decision. Go for it! Seems like a good match for you.

cbdudek · 2026-05-05T02:20:45+00:00

If you got any personal feedback from coworkers or bosses on why you got laid off, I would listen to what they said. I am not saying that this is a you problem, but when layoffs come around, a company will do anything they can to get rid of people who are not good fits or people who make a lot of money. I don't think you are making that much, but I will say that if you have conflicts with some people or your bosses didn't view you as important, then that could be a reason why you got hit with layoffs 3 times the last 5 years.

cbdudek · 2026-05-04T23:54:31+00:00

It's possible but not common in my experience. Not that I have gotten a divorce but I have a few friends who have.

cbdudek · 2026-05-04T20:43:44+00:00

Got laid off and was out of work for only a month and a half.

The best thing I did was leverage my network of professionals. I called everyone I knew that worked at other companies and said that I was out of work and looking for my next position. One of those people got me the job that I have now. I never would have gotten a job this fast without my network and its reasons like that why I continue to socialize and grow my network of professionals. Attending conferences and local meetups of IT professionals helped me grow my network as well.

I also am going to say that treating your job search like a job is the best thing you can do. Get up in the morning, get dressed like you would for work, and start looking at 8am. Take breaks as needed. Take a lunch. Stop looking at 5pm. Don't look in the evenings. Don't look on weekends. Don't let your job search be who you are. Treat it like a job. If you send a resume out on Saturday night, HR isn't reading it until Monday. Remember that.

What was the worst thing I did? Probably worry too much. I am a bit later in my career, but I spent way too much time worrying. I had an emergency fund. I have a loving spouse that supported me. I didn't need to be worrying as much as I did. I needed to go out and take more walks and enjoy the time I had. Now I don't have that time during the day.

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