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Cyber Certs, Gatekeeping, and Career Gems: What They Don’t Tell You About Winning in Tech 💼🔐🧱
Michael Bowden
May 31, 2025
In partnership with
THE_LOG_FILES#SHOW LOG
IN TODAYS EMAIL:
5 Cybersecurity Certs That Actually Pay Off 💼🔐
Best Career Advice I Ever Got 💼
🛠 Resource of the Week: 💻 My Amazon Store
Many Men: Gatekeeping in IT
CERTIFICATIONS & SKILLS TO WATCH:
5 Cybersecurity Certs That Actually Pay Off 💼🔐
Want to break into cybersecurity but don’t know where to start?
I break down 5 certs — the cost, the skill level, and the ones worth your time (and money).
Top 5 Cybersecurity Certs:
🔹 CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker)
▶️ Intermediate | 💰 $1,200
🎯 Great for pen testers — but only if you’ve got experience and a solid paycheck.
🔹 CompTIA PenTest+
▶️ Intermediate | 💰 $370
🎯 A more affordable CEH alternative with strong job demand (16K+ openings).
🔹 CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor)
▶️ Advanced | 💰 $495–$595
🎯 Best for audit and compliance folks — not too technical, but high impact.
🔹 CISSP (Certified Info Systems Security Pro)
▶️ Advanced | 💰 $749
🎯 The boss-level cert. A must for anyone eyeing management or CISO roles.
🔹 Security+ (CompTIA)
▶️ Entry-level | 💰 $392
🎯 500K+ jobs list this cert. It’s well-known, vendor-neutral, and still the best first move.
Real Talk:
Security certs hit harder when you understand networking first. Don’t skip the fundamentals. 🧠
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ADVICE AND TIPS:
Best Career Advice I Ever Got 💼
I’ve been in IT for a minute — and I’ve made mistakes, grown from them, and met some real ones along the way. Here’s the advice that stuck and helped me level up.
Top 5 Career Gems:
👉 Make mistakes.
If you’re not messing up, you’re not learning.
👉 Learn from them.
Own it. Fix it. Write it down so you don’t do it again.
👉 Be a team player.
Tech is a team sport. Help your people — and let them help you.
👉 Find a mentor.
Every role I’ve had, someone took me under their wing. Made all the difference.
👉 Manage your time.
Projects + daily tasks = juggle both. Prioritize like your career depends on it (it does).
Bonus tip:
📡 Network on purpose.
Conferences, coworkers, convos at the bar — real connections open real doors.
🛠 Resource of the Week:
💻 My Amazon Store
Find the same gear, books, and tools I recommend for certs, labs, and career growth.
RECENT EPISODE:
Many Men: Gatekeeping in IT
Some folks in IT will hoard knowledge, block access, and stall your growth — all because they’re scared you’ll pass them up.
Yep, we’re talking gatekeeping.
🎙 In This Episode:
I break down:
🔹 What IT gatekeeping looks like
– From refusing to cross-train to downplaying the industry
🔹 Why they do it
– Ego. Fear. Insecurity. (It’s never about you)
🔹 How to break through
– With strategy, confidence, and knowing your true value
💡 Real Talk:
The thing they try to keep from you?
That might be the exact thing that sets you apart.
-Mike