You don’t need to have it all figured out to take the next step.
Breaking into tech often starts with a single moment of curiosity, and for Janice Sanders, that moment came long before she ever realized it might lead to a new career.
Your “non‑tech” story is a better starting point than you may realize.
Like many people, she followed a traditional career path. She studied Business Administration in college and eventually became an enrollment advisor at a local school.
After that, she became a middle school English teacher, sharing her passion for learning with her students for five steady years.
When stability disappears, opportunity often appears.
The pandemic hit.
Suddenly, her stable world was thrown into chaos.
Remote teaching posed its own challenges, and the uncertainty of the world led her to a pressing question about her future:
What now?
This moment marked a crisis point for many careers.
You desire change, but you hesitate when considering the commitment required: four years of schooling, the costs involved, the risks of starting over. All of it can be paralyzing.
Feeling unsure doesn’t mean you’re unqualified.
Janice felt that pressure, worrying about her family and the logistics of entering a entirely new field. Thoughts raced through her mind:
Can I do it? What if I’m not smart enough? Will I have to start all over again?
She revisited her long-held dream of working in cybersecurity. She realized that the goal wasn’t necessarily a four-year degree; it was simply to secure a new job. The solution didn’t have to be a slow or expensive path. Instead, it could be something more focused and efficient.
A faster, more focused way to break into tech.
She decided to pursue a CompTIA certification.
You can start without quitting your day job.
Janice didn’t wait. She dove in while continuing to teach full-time during the day, dedicating her evenings to studying for the Security+ certification. Balancing work and study required a lot of focus, but using CompTIA's learning products made it easier for her to manage her time.
The right certification can be the key that opens the door.
Earning her CompTIA certification became the key that opened the door to her future in tech with her existing skills in organization, time management, communication, leadership, and critical thinking.
This is the moment your “what if” becomes “I did it.”
Taking a leap of faith, Janice left the classroom, applied for tech roles, and quickly secured her first position as a Security Analyst.
Imagine work that fits your life, not the other way around.
Today, she enjoys the flexibility of working remotely as a Security Engineer. This career shift has not only changed her job title but also improved her family's quality of life.
Your existing skills are already in demand in tech.
The biggest obstacles in your career are rarely about talent or ability.
You already possess transferable skills for a career change and the confidence to pursue it.
