Debt Free In IT w/ Mike

Send us Fan Mail Here are the 5 certifications and skills I’d focus on in 2026 if you’re getting into IT, plus what’s changing with each one. In this episode: CCNA: v2.0 goes live February 3, 2027, and it’s built around troubleshooting. Should you take the current version or wait? Firewall / Network Security: Palo Alto, Fortinet, and Cisco, and which one to pick Linux: RHCSA vs. CompTIA Linux+, and why it should have been on my original list Automation & Infrastructure as Code: Terra...

Send us Fan Mail Is the A+ still worth it? Should you go into biomed or IT? In this episode, I answer a listener question from someone with an AWS cert, working on the Google IT Support cert, and feeling lost on what to do next. I break it down into two parts: ✅ What certification to go for next (biomed path vs. IT path) ✅ The study tools I actually use and recommend Whether you're a career changer or just getting started, this one's for you. Some links below are affiliate links. If you bu...

Send us Fan Mail I've failed more IT certifications than I've passed, including the CCNA on my first try, the CCNP, and DevNet. And I'm still in this industry, teaching the CCNA today. If you've been studying for a certification but keep putting off scheduling the exam because you're scared you'll fail, this episode is for you. Failing isn't the end of your IT journey. It's part of the process. In this episode: ✅ Why so many people are scared to take their certification exam ✅ What taking t...

Send us Fan Mail Hospitals are full of people who aren't in the IT department but are one move away from it. In this episode, I break down three IT roles in healthcare that people move into from non-IT jobs. They go from working in a department to supporting that same department from the IT side. We cover: → Clinical Informatics: how nurses and clinicians move into supporting the EHR → Application Analyst: why every hospital department has an analyst, and why it's often someone who used to ...

Send us Fan Mail Everyone breaking into IT wants the remote job but is that actually the right move when you're just starting out? In this episode I break down the real case for on-site vs remote support roles when you're brand new to the field: what you gain, what you give up, and why Year 1 might be the one year where being in the building actually matters more than flexibility. In this episode: 🖥️ Why hands-on, in-person learning speeds up Year 1 👀 The visibility factor most ...