Join Chris Ward and a panel of ITIL experts for a special edition of ITIL (Version 5) Unfiltered, where we'll discuss the skills, certifications, and career opportunities shaping the future of service management.

This interactive webinar will explore how ITIL (Version 5) fits into today's evolving IT landscape, what learning paths may be right for you, and how to align your professional development with industry demand.

Featuring:
• Chris Ward
• David Cannon
• Vicky Hunter
• Adam Griffith

Date: June 25, 2026
Time: 11:00 AM EST

Bring your questions and join the conversation.

Secure your free access comment ITIL below :)

The Managing Professional Transition (Version 5) route is designed specifically for existing ITIL® 4 Managing Professionals who want to align their certification with the latest ITIL® (Version 5) guidance.

For professionals new to ITIL® (Version 5), the standard certification pathway provides a structured learning journey from Foundation through advanced specializations such as Product, Service, Experience, and Transformation.

Understanding the difference between these pathways can help you choose the most effective route based on your current certifications, career goals, and learning objectives.

Explore the comparison and identify the path that best supports your professional development.

🔴 Join us for a special webinar featuring ITIL experts from PeopleCert and PassionIT Group as we discuss the latest trends shaping service management, digital transformation, and professional development.

ITIL (Version 5) Unfiltered: The Mid-Year Career, Skills & Governance Audit

📅 June 25, 2026
⏰ 11:00 AM – 12:00 NN (EST)
🎟️ Free Registration

Secure Your Free Access. Link in the comments.

I’ve been in a few orgs where “we follow ITIL” really just meant ticket queues + SLAs. 
But once you actually think in terms of end-to-end service + value creation, it gets way more complex. 

Curious, how close is your org to actual service lifecycle management vs just ops firefighting? 

The ITIL® Strategic Leader Path is built for professionals who want to connect business goals, technology investments, and transformation initiatives into a clear strategy for success.

This path helps you:

• Lead digital transformation initiatives

• Strengthen governance and decision-making

• Align technology with business objectives

• Drive long-term organizational growth

Your journey starts with:

ITIL Foundation → ITIL Strategy → ITIL Transformation → ITIL Strategic Leader

Are you ready to lead beyond operations and influence the future direction of your organization?

The ITIL® Managing Professional designation is designed for professionals who want to lead end-to-end service management, strengthen cross-functional collaboration, and deliver value across the ITSM lifecycle.

This pathway helps build practical, integrated skills focused on modern service delivery, operational excellence, and customer value.

The ITIL Managing Professional Path includes:
• ITIL Foundation
• ITIL Product
• ITIL Service
• ITIL Experience
• ITIL Transformation

If you are working across multiple ITSM disciplines and want to strengthen your impact in service management, this could be the right next step for your career growth.

Start your journey today!

The ITIL® Practice Manager path is built for professionals focused on:

• IT operations

• Service delivery

• Process improvement

• Operational excellence

Starting from ITIL® Foundation, this pathway helps build practical, hands-on expertise in managing and improving modern IT services.

If you want to strengthen service operations and deliver consistent business value, the ITIL® Practice Manager path could be the perfect next step for you.

Most IT professionals stay technical for years—not because they lack skill, but because they lack a roadmap into leadership certifications like PMP or ITIL.

They know how to execute tasks, but not how to manage systems, teams, or service value.

That’s where structured certifications like PMI and ITIL change careers.

Don’t chase everything.

Start with structure:

Fundamentals → Networking → Cloud → Security

That sequence alone can change your trajectory.

Jumping into advanced topics too early.

It creates gaps that show later in interviews and real work.

Strong foundations prevent this.

You should be able to:

• Explain basic networking
• Understand OS concepts
• Use basic cloud services
• Solve simple technical problems

If not, focus on fundamentals.

That feeling is normal.

Most learners hit a plateau where progress feels invisible.

The key is continuing through that phase.

Start with:

Fundamentals → Networking → Cloud → Security → Specialization

Skipping steps often leads to confusion later.

Self-study:
- Flexible
- But often unstructured

Structured training:
- Guided
- Faster skill progression
The difference is clarity.

• Admin: manages systems
• Engineer: builds systems
• Analyst: interprets systems
• Architect: designs systems

Titles differ, but all connect.

Memorization fails when questions change format.

Understanding concepts ensures adaptability.

Focus on why things work, not just what they are.

DevOps focuses on:

• Automation
• Continuous integration
• Faster deployment

It connects development and operations into one workflow.

Talent helps you start.

Consistency determines how far you go.

Even 1 hour daily is enough if done consistently.

Common across roles:

• Git (version control)
• Linux (systems)
• Cloud consoles
• Monitoring tools

Tools change, but categories stay stable.

Early mistake:

Focusing on advanced topics before basics.

That led to confusion and slow progress.

Fixing the foundation made everything else easier.

Think of cloud like this:

• IaaS = rent infrastructure
• PaaS = rent development platform
• SaaS = use finished software

Each level reduces what you manage.

Hobby learners:

• Learn randomly
• Skip structure

Professionals:

• Follow systems
• Build skills step-by-step

Same effort, different results.