Your IT Career Roadmap: Where to Start and Where to Go Next

Your IT Career Roadmap: Where to Start and Where to Go Next

If you’ve been thinking about starting a career in IT, it’s normal to feel unsure about where to begin, especially with today’s job market. You’re not the only one asking those questions.

Here’s the good news: IT is huge. It’s not one job or one career track. There are roles across support, networking, cloud, cybersecurity, systems, and more, and this guide will help you find a realistic starting point and a clear “what’s next.”

IT Is a Massive Career Field

A lot of people hear “IT” and picture someone hunching over a laptop in the dark, with lines of code flying across the screen. In real life, IT is more like a well-oiled machine, and each role is a gear that helps keep the entire organization running. There are thousands of IT job functions out there, and every company puts those pieces together a little differently depending on its size, industry, and needs.

You can work in IT and specialize in things like:

• Helping users solve problems (support and service desk)

• Keeping networks stable and secure (networking)

• Managing cloud platforms (cloud administration)

• Protecting systems from attacks (cybersecurity)

• Supporting servers and infrastructure (systems administration)

• Working with tools and automation (DevOps)

And the best part is, if you’re just starting out, you don’t have to be ready to pick your “forever job” right away.

The Job Market Is Tough, But IT Still Needs People

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: the job market. Yes, tech hiring has been weird lately. A period of over hiring, plus economic concerns, has created a conservative hiring environment. You’ll see layoffs in headlines, competition for remote jobs, and job postings that ask for “entry-level” candidates with 3 years of experience because employers feel they have the pick of the litter. It can be discouraging. Terrifying, even. But here’s some things to keep in mind:

• IT work still exists in every industry
• Companies still need help desks, networks, security, cloud systems, and troubleshooting
• Not every IT role is at a huge tech company
• Many jobs are in healthcare, finance, education, government, manufacturing, and small businesses

So tough market or not, there are more opportunities than most people realize, especially for beginners. You just need to focus on building skills that employers can actually use.

Your IT Career Can Branch in Different Directions

One reason IT feels confusing, especially if you’re not familiar with it, is because it’s not one ladder. It’s more like a branching map. Imagine a basic org chart for a company: there are multiple departments, with different functions and possibilities for entry and growth. IT departments, and the field as a whole, often look the same way.

Common entry points into IT

These are roles that many people start with because they teach you the fundamentals in real-world environments:

• IT Support Specialist
• Help Desk Technician
• Desktop Support Technician
• Technical Support Specialist

These roles build your foundation fast because you learn how to:

• Troubleshoot problems under pressure
• Communicate with non-technical users
• Understand operating systems and basic networking
• Work with ticketing systems and documentation
• Solve the kind of issues companies deal with daily

If you’re looking for the best place to start, the Computer User Support Specialist program is designed to help you build real, job-ready IT skills from the ground up. It prepares students for three of the most recognized beginner-friendly certifications in the industry: CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+. Whether your goal is to land your first IT support role or build a foundation for networking, systems, or cybersecurity, this program gives you a strong starting point and a clear path forward.

IT Career Paths: Where You Can Go After You Start

Once you have your base skills, your career can branch into a few major directions based on your interests and the opportunities available to you.

Career Path	Great If You Like…	Common Roles You Might See	What You’ll Actually Do
Networking	Solving connectivity issues, understanding how systems communicate, troubleshooting	Network Technician, Network Support Specialist, Network Analyst, Network Administrator, Network Engineer	Monitor network performance, troubleshoot outages, configure routers/switches, support VPNs, keep businesses online
Cybersecurity	Protecting systems, investigating issues, prevention + response, working with security tools	SOC Analyst, Junior Security Analyst, Cybersecurity Analyst, Incident Response Analyst, Vulnerability Analyst, Security Engineer	Monitor alerts, investigate suspicious activity, support security tools, respond to incidents, document findings
Systems & Infrastructure	Keeping things stable, working behind the scenes, supporting environments and users	Systems Support Specialist, Junior Systems Administrator, Systems Administrator, Infrastructure Engineer	Manage user accounts/access, maintain servers/systems, handle updates/backups, support reliability
Cloud	Modern tech, scalable systems, building flexible environments, learning platforms like AWS/Azure	Cloud Support Associate, Cloud Administrator, Cloud Engineer	Manage cloud resources, monitor performance, support migrations, maintain access and security settings

Example IT Journeys

Let’s make this even clearer. Here are a few common career journeys that start with foundational training and build toward bigger roles:

Career Journey	Start Here	Build These Skills	Grow Into
Beginner → Network Analyst	IT Support / Help Desk	Networking fundamentals + hands-on practice	Network Technician → Network Analyst
Beginner → Cybersecurity Analyst	IT Support / Help Desk	Security fundamentals + labs + tools exposure	SOC Analyst / Junior Security Analyst → Cybersecurity Analyst
Beginner → Systems Administrator	Desktop Support / IT Support	Operating systems + user management + troubleshooting	Junior SysAdmin → Systems Administrator

No Matter What Path You Take

As you grow in IT, you’ll often notice a natural shift from hands-on, individual contributor roles (like the ones in these examples) into leadership positions. After you’ve built experience supporting systems, networks, or security operations, the next step is often managing the same kinds of work you used to do yourself. That can look like moving into titles such as team lead, supervisor, or manager, where you’re guiding technicians or analysts, setting priorities, improving processes, and helping a team deliver results at a higher level. If you don’t want to move into people management, but you also don’t want to stay stagnant, you can make lateral moves into other specialties like growing into cloud after you master networking.

What If I Don’t Know What I Want to Do Yet?

It’s completely normal to be unsure of exactly what you want to do in IT, especially if you haven’t begun your journey in the field yet. The best course of action is to keep it simple: start with foundational IT skills and explore your preferences through experience. Let your curiosity lead you from there.

Here are a few questions that can help you decide your direction as you go:

• Do I like solving people problems or system problems?
• Do I prefer hands-on troubleshooting or planning and prevention?
• Do I enjoy fast-paced work or deep focused work?
• Do I want to specialize (security/cloud) or stay broad (support/sysadmin)?

Your first job in IT won’t lock you into one specialty. It simply opens more doors as you figure out which direction you want to go in.

How Tech Academy Helps You Start Strong

When you’re new to tech, the hardest part is knowing what to learn first and how to build confidence and skills without wasting time. That’s where a structured program comes in.

Tech Academy IT training programs help you:

• Build foundational skills you’ll need to pass industry-recognized certifications
• Learn the “why” behind what you’re doing (not just memorization)
• Practice with hands-on labs to build your confidence
• Land your first role in IT through our Career Services team

And most importantly: it shows potential employers that you are serious about your work and your future. You didn’t just watch a few YouTube videos and pat yourself on the back. You completed a comprehensive, structured program dedicated to getting you job ready.

Ready to start your IT career journey?

If you’re looking for a structured way to build skills, gain confidence, and work toward real roles like network analyst or cybersecurity analyst, Tech Academy can help you get there. You can check out the full list of our training programs or fill out the form to get in contact with an advisor at Tech Academy.