Start Where You Are: Four Starting Points and the Certification to Earn Next

Most certification roadmaps start at the finish line: pick your dream job, then work backward. That's fine if you already know the destination. Most of the people who call us don't. They know where they are today and want to know what to do next. So let's start there.

Below are four common starting points, the one certification I'd point each toward next, and why. Every recommendation is checked against what the vendor itself says about who the exam is for.

How much experience the vendors expect

Vendors publish recommended experience for each exam. It isn't a hard requirement for CompTIA, but it tells you how ready the average passing candidate is. Here's the stated job experience, in months:

Two of those surprise people. Cisco lists no prerequisites for CCNA and says it assumes little to no networking knowledge. ISC2's Certified in Cybersecurity is tagged for people with no work experience at all. Both are real options for day one.

Four starting points, one next step each

Three rules for the long game

And if you're heading toward management, the path changes shape entirely. Leadership certs like CISM and CISSP reward years of experience more than exam prep, which is a topic for its own post.

Do this today

1. Pick your starting point honestly, based on the work you do now, not the title you want.
2. Read the vendor's exam page for the next cert and compare its recommended experience to yours.
3. Take a practice test to see how far you are from passing.
4. Put a date on the calendar. A booked exam is the best study motivator there is.

— Scott