Need Help Starting Your Tech Career?
Get the free Tech Career Roadmap, a step-by-step guide to landing your first IT job, even if you have no experience or degree.
Made for Beginners
- No degree needed. Start with free and low-cost learning options.
- Changing careers? Your past jobs count more than you think.
- Students and recent grads. Build a plan for your first role.
- Not sure where to begin? Start with the basics and build from there.
What you get
- Find your role in tech
- Set a certification target
- Build a great resume
- Prep for interviews
Breaking Into IT Can Feel Overwhelming
There are dozens of job titles, a long list of certifications, and conflicting advice everywhere you look. It’s hard to know where to start, what to learn first, or how to get noticed with no experience.
The Tech Career Roadmap turns that into a clear plan you can follow one step at a time.
What’s Inside the Roadmap
Understand the Landscape
Explore common IT roles, from help desk to cybersecurity, and see which entry-level jobs fit you.
Build Your Foundation
Learn the core skills, start a simple home lab, and choose your first certification, with exam tips included.
Get in the Game
Write a one-page resume without experience, find the right job postings, and network with confidence.
Land the Offer
Practice interview questions, use the STAR method, and learn how to evaluate your first offer.
Where to Apply
See the types of employers that hire entry-level IT talent, from healthcare to government to managed service providers.
Sample Screenshots from the Roadmap
From Southern Virginia Higher Education Center’s IT Academy
This roadmap was written by IT professionals at the IT Academy after over 10 years of history helping students land their first IT job. We’ve helped hundreds of students get certified and land positions at companies such as Microsoft, TekSystems, Insight Global, Southside Tech Services, River City Systems, and many others. You can read about past student experiences here: student testimonials.