The Certification Blueprint

The Certification

Blueprint

This is The Blueprint To Turn Your Life Around...

Below, you will find the TOP CERTIFICATIONS that will help you on your journey to secure these Life-Changing Cyber and IT Jobs. Each certification comes with an overview and a few links (all of which are provided at the bottom) to courses, books, and practice tests that you can study before taking the final certification exam.

STACK THE DECK STRATEGY: Rob Cyber advises avoiding the bare minimum mentality of obtaining JUST ONE certification and spamming 500 jobs. Instead, aim to acquire 5-7 certifications to demonstrate to recruiters that you are dedicated and willing to put in the effort, which will help you stand out as a strong candidate and get the offer!

Reminder: 95% of Cybersecurity professionals have to get an IT Job first!

Easy Entry Level IT Certs

These are EASY PEASY certifications to get foundational knowledge in IT. You can knock out all 4 in 2 weeks each.

Microsoft 365 Fundamentals

(7-12 Days)

The Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals (MS-900) certification is a great way for aspiring Help Desk Analysts to stand out when applying for entry-level IT support roles. Since many companies use Microsoft 365 for email, collaboration, and cloud services, having this certification proves that you understand Microsoft 365 applications. Employers value candidates who can troubleshoot Microsoft 365 issues.

Azure Cloud Basics

(7-12 Days)

Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) is an entry-level certification that validates basic cloud computing knowledge with a focus on Azure services, pricing, security, and governance. Ideal for entry-level IT and non-technical professionals, 90% of Fortune 500 companies use some form of Microsoft Azure Cloud and Entra ID in their networking environments. This certification will help you start your IT career.

Linux Operating System

(10-15 Days)

LPI Linux Essentials is an entry-level certification that validates fundamental Linux skills for beginners. It covers basic command-line usage, file management, system administration, and security. Ideal for those starting an IT career, it provides a strong foundation for more advanced Linux certifications like CompTIA Linux+ or LPIC-1. This certification is for anyone that is serious about pursuing an IT career.

IT Service Management

(7-12 Days - See Note Below)

ITIL 4 Foundation is an entry-level certification that validates core IT service management (ITSM) principles, focusing on aligning IT services with business needs. It covers service value system (SVS), key practices, and ITIL guiding principles to improve efficiency, customer satisfaction, and business outcomes. This certification is expensive, but Over 7,000 open IT jobs currently mention "ITIL" on indeed.com

NOTE: Everybody and they mama has ONE certification. It's best to get 3-4 IT certifications if you want to stand out from the competition and get noticed by recruiters.

ITIL Foundation is Optional-Expensive

The ITIL FOUNDATION certification is expensive ($600 as of 2025), but over 7,000 IT jobs listed on indeed.com mention "ITIL" in the job description. If money is not an issue, Rob Cyber advises obtaining the certification to check the box for recruiters.

Entry Level CompTIA Certs

CompTIA is the industry standard when it comes to IT certifications. If you get a few of these
certifications you can start to gain traction with recruiters for entry level IT jobs.

Computer Basics

(2 Exams 25-30 Days)

The A+ is for the hardware of computers, and is best for working as an ON-SITE Help Desk Analyst. Some help desk jobs require the A+ cert and some don't. Rob isn't particularly fond of the A+ because you have to pass 2 exams instead of 1 to get the certification. However, there are currently 2,000+ jobs on indeed.com that are asking for the A+ cert.

Networking Basics

(30-40 Days)

CompTIA Network+ validates essential networking skills, including network design, configuration, troubleshooting, security, and protocols. It covers wired and wireless networks, TCP/IP, subnetting, and cloud connectivity, making it ideal for aspiring network administrators, IT support specialists, and cybersecurity professionals.

Cybersecurity Basics

(30 Days)

CompTIA Security+ is a globally recognized certification that validates core cybersecurity skills needed to secure networks, detect threats, and manage risk. It covers network security, cryptography, threat management, identity access, and compliance—making it ideal for IT professionals looking to enter cybersecurity and government (DoD 8570) roles. The next cert after the Security+ is the CySA+.

Linux Operating System

(4-8 Weeks)

CompTIA Linux+ is an industry-recognized certification that validates essential Linux administration skills for IT professionals. It covers command-line management, system configuration, scripting, security, networking, and automation across various Linux distributions. Ideal for system administrators and cybersecurity professionals, it ensures a strong foundation in enterprise-level Linux environments.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - CompTIA

These are the CompTIA certifications that will make you eligible for Government IT and Cyber jobs

DOD 8140 Baseline Certs

The Department of Defense (DoD) requires baseline certifications for all federal IT and Cybersecurity roles. These certifications qualify you to work in government positions or with contracted companies supporting federal agencies. Click the link below to see the list of CompTIA and other certifications that can help you get hired!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE DOD 8140 LIST

Skip The Line And Get Hired With The CCNA...

If you want to get hired without jumping through a bunch of hoops it is best to get the CISCO CCNA certification. This is the most respected Networking cert in IT. The CCNA is much harder than the Network+, but it gets a lot more respect from recruiters and hiring managers. The CCNA can help you SKIP Tier-1 Help Desk and go straight into Tier-2 Network Operations.

NETWORK+ STUDY: If you go for the CCNA make sure you COMPLETLY UNDERSTAND all of the basic networking concepts from the CompTIA Network+. What you do is watch all of the Network+ training material to get a foundation, but you skip the exam and instead study and take the CCNA exam. You don't need the CCNA to be a Cybersecurity Analyst, but it's BIG BONUS if you have it and you will get way more respect from recruiters.

It will take 3-5 Months to pass the CCNA (4 months is normal).

Skip The Line And Get

Hired With The CCNA...

Entry Level Cyber Certs

These are three important Cybersecurity certifcations that you really want on your resume.

Cybersecurity Analyst

MANDATORY (30-45 DAYS)

This cert is the next step above the Security+. The CySA+ will teach you the basics of Security analytics, intrusion detection and incident response. This cert will get you a little bit more respect with recruiters. Rob advises all students who are serious to get both the Security+ and the CySA+.

Splunk SIEM And Logs

MANDATORY (15-20 DAYS)

As a Cybersecurity Analyst you will be looking at logs all day to determine the severity of security alerts and incidents that come into the SOAR/SIEM. Splunk is the #1 logging solution for most major companies, and the Splunk Core User is a very good cert to have.

Microsoft Security Operations

GOOD TO HAVE (15-20 DAYS)

Microsoft security software is very popular because they can bundle it with other software like Microsoft Office for corporations. More companies are switching over to Microsoft Sentinel and Defender for security so the SC-200 cert will be helpful for your job prospects.

Red Team Beginner

OPTIONAL (4-8 WEEKS)

CompTIA PenTest+ is an intermediate-level cybersecurity certification focused on penetration testing and vulnerability assessment. It validates skills in planning, conducting, and reporting penetration tests across various networks and applications.

Advanced Security Principles

OPTIONAL (30-45 DAYS)

SecurityX (formerly CASP+) covers the technical knowledge and skills required to architect, engineer, integrate, and implement secure solutions across complex environments to support a resilient enterprise while considering the impact of governance, risk, and compliance requirements.

Earn The Premiere

Hands-On SOC Analyst Certification

CompTIA certifications will get the recruiters to call you, but once you get to the interview process you will be just like everyone else, fumbling over interview questions because you don't have any real Cyber experience. In this common scenario every job candidate is on the same level (No real Cyber skills), so the hiring manager usually chooses who they like the most, and if you are not the most likeable person you will never get a job offer.

The RCASOC Certification (21 DAY CYBER) will give you a behind the scenes look at Cybersecurity Operations. You will get real hands-on experience with Intrusion Detection, Endpoint Protection, Phishing Emails, and Cyber Incident Response. The Cyber skills that you learn from Rob will give you a STRONG ADVANTAGE over the other job candidates during the interview process and significantly increase your chances of getting a job offer!

The Roadmap To Success...

You don't have to follow this path exactly, but it should guide you in the right direction.

If you are on the Tier-1 Help Desk it's possible to SKIP Network Operations and go straight into Cybersecurity.

ALERT: You DO NOT NEED all these certs to get hired, but the extra certs will help you stand out from the competition!

The Roadmap To

Success...

You don't have to follow this path exactly, but it
should guide you in the right direction.

ALERT: You DO NOT NEED all these certs to get hired, but the extra certs will help you stand out from the competition!

Tier-1 Help Desk IT Job Path...

You work 9-12 months at these entry-level IT jobs and dip out for something better!

Jobs in Tier-1 are Help Desk, Service Desk, IT Support, etc.

Help Desk Path (Tier-1)

Microsoft 365 Fundamentals
Azure Fundamentals
Linux Essentials (LPI)
CompTIA A+
ITIL 4 Foundation (Optional-Expensive)
MAKE IT VIDEO RESUME (21 DAY CYBER)
START APPLYING TO TIER-1 IT JOBS
Network+
Security+
START APPLYING TO TIER-2 IT JOBS
DO NOT STOP UNTIL YOU GET HIRED!
STAY FOR 1 YEAR AND MOVE UP!

Note: With this certification blueprint and the 21 DAY CYBER training you can pivot from a Tier-1 IT job role into a Cybersecurity job MUCH FASTER than the average person (6-18 months). Most Help Desk IT workers can take 4-5 years to transition into Cybersecurity and are lost in the sauce.

Rob Cyber's Commentary

This certification path includes Microsoft, Azure, Linux, and CompTIA A+ to make you a well-rounded candidate for entry-level IT jobs. ITIL 4 is expensive, but with more than 7,000 job listings on Indeed.com asking for it, it's worth getting if you can afford it.

Note: You can get a Help Desk job with just the CompTIA A+ certification. Rob teaches the STACK THE DECK certification strategy to stand out from the other entry-level job candidates who will have the bare minimum qualifications. The additional certs like Azure, Linux, and ITIL will be helpful when moving up to a Tier-2 Network Operations job as well.

The 21 DAY CYBER course will train you how to make an IT Video Resume showcasing your skills in Help Desk Ticket Creation, Linux System Administration, and Wireshark PCAP Network Traffic Analysis. These videos will help convince recruiters to submit you for IT jobs and give hiring managers confidence in your skills before the interview even begins, which will give you an advantage over the competition. Plus, Rob Cyber will provide you with an IT Job PowerPoint Presentation to help you ace your interview and get the offer you deserve. 21 DAY CYBER will give you the advantage over the other job candidates.

You will also need to continue your education and get the CompTIA Network+ and Security+ certifications. These additional certs will help you become more qualified for a Tier-1 IT Help Desk Job and serve as a springboard to level up to a Tier-2 Network Operations job position. The CompTIA Security+ certification will also get you approved to work entry-level IT positions for Government Department of Defense jobs (DOD).

Tier-2 Network Operations Job Path...

This certification path will give you a better chance to SKIP the Tier-1 Help Desk

You can also move up from a Tier-1 Help Desk into Network Operations

Jobs in Tier-2 are Network Engineer, NOC Analyst, Network Technician, IT Administrator, Junior System Administrator (SysAdmin), etc.

Note: If you want to skip Tier-1 Help Desk the CCNA and CompTIA Linux+ (Harder) are recommended over the Network+ and Linux Essentials (Easy)

Note: With this certification blueprint and the 21 DAY CYBER training you can pivot from a Tier-2 IT role into a Cybersecurity job MUCH FASTER than the average person (6-12 months). Most people take 3-4 years and are absolutely lost with no gameplan.

Rob Cyber's Commentary

This certification path builds a solid IT foundation with Azure, CompTIA Linux+, and ITIL. Even though you’re skipping Tier-1 Help Desk, this will still be your first IT job, so having these foundational certifications is essential. CompTIA Security+ qualifies you for Tier-2 Government Network Operations roles with the Department of Defense (DOD). The CCNA is your golden ticket to bypass Tier-1 and move directly into Tier-2 Network Operations. You can land a job with just the CCNA, but combining CCNA, Security+, and Linux+ makes you more valuable to employers, leading to better job offers and higher pay.

CCNA: In this path, you review the CompTIA Network+ training to build a strong networking foundation but skip the exam and move straight to CompTIA Security+. Since the Network+ and Security+ have a lot of knowledge overlap and share many of the same concepts, studying Network+ helps you prepare for the Security+ exam. Once you pass Security+, you’ll refresh the networking concepts from the Network+ for 4-5 days, then dedicate 3-5 months to studying for CCNA before taking the exam. If you ALREADY have a Tier-1 Help Desk job the Network+ is good enough to get promoted to a Tier-2 Network Operations job role, but the CCNA will still be the golden ticket to better paying jobs.

The 21 DAY CYBER course will train you how to make a Tier-2 Network Operations Video Resume showcasing your hands-on skills in Linux System Administration, Network Firewall Management, Bash and PowerShell Scripting, Wireshark PCAP Network Troubleshooting, Splunk Dashboard Creation for Network Monitoring, and Nessus Vulnerability Management. These videos will help convince recruiters to submit you for Tier-2 IT jobs and give hiring managers the confidence to grant you an interview. The hiring manager will also already be familiar with your hands-on technical skills, which will give you an advantage over the competition. Rob Cyber will provide you with a Network Operations Job PowerPoint Presentation to help you ace your interview and get the offer you deserve. 21 DAY CYBER will give you the advantage over the other job candidates.

Tier-3 Cybersecurity Job Path

You can move up from a Tier-1 Help Desk or Tier-2 Network Operations using this certification path.

Note: Cybersecurity jobs are considered Tier-3 IT but your first Cybersecurity Analyst job will be called Tier-1 (Cyber)

Cybersecurity Path (Tier-1 Cyber)

You Should Have 1 Year of IT Experience
Network+ OR CCNA
Linux Essentials (LPI) OR Linux+ (CompTIA)
Security+
CySA+
Splunk Core User
Microsoft SC-200
MAKE CYBER VIDEO RESUME (21 DAY CYBER)
START APPLYING TO CYBER JOBS
Pentest+ (Optional)
SECURITYX - FORMERLY CASP (Optional)
KEEP APPLYING TO CYBER JOBS
DO NOT STOP UNTIL YOU GET HIRED!
STAY FOR 1 YEAR AND MOVE UP!

Rob Cyber's Commentary

95% of Cybersecurity jobs will require at least 1 year of IT experience to be considered a candidate for the interview process. You also need to have a combination of the foundational IT certs like the Network+, Security+, Azure, Linux Essentials OR Linux+, etc. The CCNA is NOT mandatory, but it will earn additional respect from the hiring manager. From there you will need 2-4 additional Cybersecurity certifications to get interviews for Tier-1 Cybersecurity SOC Analyst job roles.

The Certification stack of Security+, CySA+, and Splunk Core User is good enough to get interviews. When you throw the Microsoft SC-200 Cybersecurity cert on top of that (it's pretty cheap to get - ONLY $165) you resume will be even stronger. The CompTIA Pentest+ and SECURITYX are optional and not mandatory, but will help out your resume.

The 21 DAY CYBER course will train you how to make a Cyber Video Resume showcasing your hands-on skills in Intrusion Detection, Endpoint Security Protection, Email Phishing Incident Response, Linux System Administration, Network Firewall Management, Bash and PowerShell Scripting, Wireshark PCAP Incident Response, Splunk Dashboard Creation for Security Analytics, and Nessus Vulnerability Management. These videos will help convince recruiters to submit you for Tier-1 Cybersecurity jobs and give hiring managers the confidence to grant you an interview. The hiring manager will already be impressed with your Cyber investigation skills before the interview even starts, which will give you an advantage over the competition. Rob Cyber will also provide you with MULTIPLE Cyber Job Interview PowerPoint Presentations to help you ace your interview and get the offer you deserve! 21 DAY CYBER will give you the advantage and help you ABSOLUTELY DESTROY the competition during the interview process!

SENIOR CYBER CERTIFICATIONS

These are the certs that will get you promoted to Senior and Lead Cybersecurity Job Positions ($150,000 to $200,000)

LEVEL UP: Once you are in the Cybersecurity job industry these are the Senior Certifications that will get you the jobs that pay $150,000 and up.

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
SANS - GIAC Certified Incident Handler Certification (GCIH)
SANS - GIAC Certified Intrusion Analyst Certification (GCIA)
SANS - GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst (GCFA)
Splunk Enterprise Security Certified Admin
AWS CERTIFIED SECURITY - SPECIALTY
AZURE SECURITY ENGINEER (AZ-500)
OSCP - RED TEAM (BECOME A HYBRID)
Do NOT get the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH). Not worth it.

Note: I'm not putting the links to these certs on this page. These certs are at least 3-4 years down the road and you should focus on the entry-level certifications that are given in the blueprint.

The BEST Online Cybersecurity Degree

Rob Cyber didn't go to college, but having a Cybersecurity Degree can be an advantage. While you don't need a degree to get a job in Cybersecurity, having one is a plus. If you're interested in pursuing formal education, the Cybersecurity Degree Program at Western Governors University (WGU) is highly recommended. It's a 100% online program and is quite affordable. WGU offers self-paced learning, and some individuals complete their degree programs in just 2-3 years. Additionally, the program includes several CompTIA certifications as part of the degree curriculum.

Click Here To See WGU

Now It's Time To Level Up
And Put In The Work...

I've provided you with a clear path to change your life with Cybersecurity. Remember, we use the STACK THE DECK certification strategy to demonstrate to recruiters that we are willing to work harder than everyone else. This boosts their confidence in submitting us for these well-paying IT and Cybersecurity jobs. Once we reach the interview process, we utilize the 21 DAY CYBER training to showcase our skills to the hiring manager and DOMINATE the competition to secure the job offer!

Remember to NEVER STOP learning. It's a BIG MISTAKE to earn 2 certifications and then wait 6 months for an opportunity. Over those next 6 months, you can obtain 3 more certifications, bringing your total up to 5 certifications, significantly increasing the likelihood of getting submitted for job interviews! DO NOT STOP until you get the offer!

Remember, if you pull this off you can be making 100K for the next 30+ years until you are 65 years old and ready to retire! I Promise You the reward is worth the effort!

Now It's Time To

Put In The Work...

I've provided you with a clear path to change your life with Cybersecurity. Remember, we use the STACK THE DECK certification strategy to demonstrate to recruiters that we are willing to work harder than everyone else. This boosts their confidence in submitting us for these well-paying IT and Cybersecurity jobs. Once we reach the interview process, we utilize the 21 Day Cyber training to showcase our skills to the hiring manager and DOMINATE the competition to secure the job offer!

Remember to NEVER STOP learning. It's a BIG MISTAKE to earn 3 certifications and then wait 6 months for an opportunity. Over those next 6 months, you can obtain 4 more certifications, bringing your total up to 7 certifications, significantly increasing the likelihood of getting submitted for job interviews! DO NOT STOP until you get the offer!

Remember, if you pull this off you can be making 100K for the next 30+ years until you are 65 years old and ready to retire! I promise you the reward is worth the effort! Now scroll down to access all of the links you requested...

Cybersecurity is Changing Lives!

Watch Rob Explain How $3,000 Per Week Upgraded His Life!

Cybersecurity

is Changing Lives!

Watch Rob Explain How $3,000

Per Week Upgraded His Life!

This Is Your Better Future...

Start Grinding So You Can Get Paid!

This Is Your

Better Future...

Start Grinding So

You Can Get Paid!

Here Are The Links As Promised...

Do YOUR OWN RESEARCH to find the best study materials for you!

Rob Cyber STRONGLY recommends UDEMY courses because they are cheap and good quality!

Here Are The Links

As Promised...

Tier-1 IT Certification Links

This Certification Stack is Good for Entry-Level IT Help Desk Roles!

You don't NEED all of these certs to get a Help Desk job, but having more is better than having just one.