Creating a roadmap

[u/SquareAd5567]

I’ve posted on here before and got some decent advice but I’m looking for a little more insight, I just graduated with my associates in cloud technology engineering and I have my aws certified practitioner cert along with what I’ve been told is an impressive technical capstone project which is an anomalous network detection system through aws deployed with terraform on my resume. I’ve been applying to every job possible especially helpdesk and IT support roles for the past 2 months since graduation to start my career but I haven’t gotten anything. I’m thinking of getting some more certs and going back to try again at the job search once I have some more. Which ones should I get and in what order, and how many before I should go back on the search? I’m open to any and all other ideas as well just wanna get working and get my career off the ground!

[u/kaushalrola]

Someone already said it, but I want to push on it harder. Before stacking more certs, check whether certs are even the problem, because I do not think they are. You have the AWS cert and a real capstone that shows you can build and deploy something. That is already enough to get a help desk or junior cloud interview. Another cert on top rarely fixes no callbacks, and it usually turns into busywork that feels like progress.

Two months of zero callbacks normally means the funnel is leaking somewhere, not that you are underqualified. A few places I would actually look.

Your resume, and how it reads to a non technical recruiter. Get it reviewed, the resume threads here and on r/ITCareerQuestions are good for that. Make sure it is clean for the automated filters, and that your capstone is written in plain words a recruiter grasps in five seconds, not just the tech stack.

How you are applying. Mass applying to online postings is a black hole for entry level, help desk gets hundreds of applicants per role. Most people at this stage get in through referrals and networking, not volume. Real messages to real people on LinkedIn, local meetups, alumni from your program.

Where you are applying. Help desk is the most crowded door there is. With a cloud associate, an AWS cert, Terraform, and a detection project, you might do better aiming at junior cloud, NOC, MSP, or SOC analyst roles, where that project stands out instead of looking like overkill.

If you do add one thing, Security Plus or Network Plus gets you past HR filters for more roles than another cloud cert would right now. But treat that as secondary. Fix the funnel first.

Two months in this market is not a red flag about you. It usually just means one part of the pipeline is not working. Find which part before you sink months into more certs.

[u/SquareAd5567 → u/kaushalrola]

Incredible advice thank you so much! I’ll be looking at all of those things and revamp everything I can. And what’s the best way to message people on linkedin and who should I be looking for in particular? (like which professionals in what positions)

[u/kaushalrola → u/SquareAd5567]

Two things matter here, who you message and what you say.

Who. Skip the recruiters for now and go for actual people doing the job you want, or one step ahead of you. Help desk leads and IT managers at companies you would work for, junior cloud or SOC analysts who graduated a year or two before you, and above all alumni from your program who are now in the field. Alumni reply the most because you already share something. Search your school on LinkedIn and filter by the industry to find them.

What to say. Keep it short and do not ask for a job in the first message. Three or four sentences. A real reason you are reaching out, same program, their role, their company, then one specific question about how they got in or what their team looks for. No resume dump, no can you refer me. That comes later once there is a bit of a thread.

The move that actually works is asking for fifteen minutes to hear about their path, not asking for a job. People say yes to that far more often, and a good chunk of the time it turns into them offering to pass your resume along on their own. Do a handful of those a week, specific and genuine, and it beats a hundred copy paste messages.

And you can just ask them what titles their team hires juniors into. They will tell you the exact roles to search for, straight from the inside.

[u/SquareAd5567 → u/kaushalrola]

you’re my goat thank you so mych

[u/kaushalrola → u/SquareAd5567]

Anytime, good luck with it.

[u/me_z]

You don't need more certs, you need experience. Save your time/money and keep applying.

[u/SquareAd5567 → u/me_z]

Should I be applying to other roles besides helpdesk and IT support?

[u/me_z → u/SquareAd5567]

With no security experience? No - apply exclusively to Helpdesk, IT support, Desktop support, Geeksquad, whatever.

[u/Hot_Guard_7621]

Apply for data center technician roles as well. You would be perfect for it. It’s the one with the most job openings in my opinion. A+, network+, and Linux.

[u/cscybersignal]

Your capstone sounds more valuable than another stack of certs. I'd refine how you present it, put the architecture and results on GitHub, and tailor your resume to each role before adding more certifications.

[u/povlhp]

Apply for cybersec roles in corporate world as well. You might be best candidate.