Break In: Land Your First Cybersecurity Job
Go from zero experience to hired in cybersecurity. Ten modules. Twenty-eight deliverables. A system for the career changer, the graduate, and the IT professional ready to make the move.
30-day refund if you complete Module 1 and it is not right for you. No questions asked.
What you will build
Each module produces tangible artifacts. You finish the course with 28 career assets you can use immediately, not just notes from videos.
Salary ranges are illustrative estimates based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024, and O*NET OnLine data. Actual compensation varies by employer, location, experience, and negotiation. This information is for educational purposes only. See full BLS salary data
All 10 modules
Click any module to expand lessons. The timeline fills as you scroll through the course.
1. Your Career Profile
Use role data and hiring signals to identify where you can realistically break in and build your career target document.
- Introduction
- Using Your Assessment Results
- Reading Role Data
- Building Your Career Target Document
- Building Your Translation Matrix
2. The Resume That Beats Both Robots and Humans
Write a resume that clears ATS filters and earns callbacks from hiring managers who review hundreds of applications.
- How Cybersecurity Hiring Works
- How ATS Screening Works
- Writing Security-Relevant Bullets
- The Anti-AI Fingerprint Test
- Building Your Two Resume Versions
3. Building a Security Portfolio With Zero Experience
Create five portfolio artifacts that demonstrate real competence: home lab docs, a security assessment, incident response, a policy draft, and a blog post.
- Why Portfolios Beat Resumes
- Artifact 1: Home Lab Documentation
- Artifact 2: Security Assessment Report
- Artifact 3: Incident Response Write-Up
- Artifact 4 & 5: Policy Draft and Blog Post
4. LinkedIn as a Cybersecurity Career Platform
Rebuild your LinkedIn profile so recruiters find you, and learn to publish content that signals security credibility.
- How Recruiters Search LinkedIn
- Rebuilding Your Profile
- Writing Cybersecurity Content
- The LinkedIn Scorecard
5. Building Your Network When You Know Nobody
Build a targeted network from scratch using the referral formula, informational interviews, and community engagement.
- The Referral Formula
- Building Your Network Map
- Informational Interview System
- Community Engagement
6. The Application System
Replace spray-and-pray applications with a disciplined system: target company list, application tracker, custom cover letters, and a follow-up sequence.
- Why Volume Fails
- Building Your Target Company List
- The Application Tracker
- Custom Cover Letter Framework
- The Follow-Up Sequence
7. Crushing the Cybersecurity Interview
Prepare for technical and behavioral interviews using frameworks built for candidates with no direct experience.
- The Three Interview Types
- The No-Experience Answer Framework
- STAR Stories for Career Changers
- Technical Confidence Sheet
- Practice Interview System
8. Salary Negotiation Backed by Real Data
Negotiate your first cybersecurity offer using a salary data briefing, negotiation scripts, and a total compensation calculator.
- Why Career Changers Leave Money on the Table
- Your Salary Intelligence Briefing
- Negotiation Scripts and Frameworks
- The Total Compensation Calculator
9. Your First 90 Days on the Job
Survive and succeed in your first cybersecurity role with a structured onboarding plan, quick-win strategy, and relationship map.
- The First Week Survival Guide
- Finding Your Quick Win
- Relationship Building Plan
- The Career Changer Advantage
10. Career Acceleration (From First Job to $150K+)
Plan your 3-year path from entry-level to senior roles using the career path tree, certification roadmap, and a promotion case framework.
- Reading Your Career Path Tree
- Your 3-Year Progression Plan
- Certification Roadmap Years 1-3
- Building Your Promotion Case
What makes this different
Most career transition advice is generic. This course is built specifically for cybersecurity entry and uses real hiring data to guide every decision.
Every salary figure comes from BLS or O*NET. Every role description comes from NICE Framework data. No guesswork, no hype.
You finish each module with something you can use: a resume, a portfolio artifact, a network map, a salary briefing. Not just knowledge.
The interview frameworks, resume templates, and portfolio strategies all account for the specific challenge of entering a field you have not worked in.
The course addresses the certification trap, the experience paradox, and how to build credibility before you have a title.
Technical skills matter, but most career changers fail because of weak positioning, not weak skills. This course fixes the positioning problem.
This course is for you if...
- ✓You are changing careers from an unrelated field and targeting cybersecurity
- ✓You recently graduated and lack direct security work experience
- ✓You work in IT (helpdesk, sysadmin, networking) and want to move into security
- ✓You are a veteran transitioning to civilian cybersecurity roles
- ✓You have certifications but cannot land interviews or callbacks
- ✓You have been applying for months without results and need a system
This course is NOT for you if...
- ✕You already have 3+ years in a security role and want advanced technical training
- ✕You want a vendor certification like CompTIA, ISC2, or ISACA
- ✕You expect a guaranteed job offer (no course can promise that)
- ✕You want purely technical content with no career strategy
- ✕You are looking for a course recognized by name on a resume
About the instructor
Julian Calvo holds an Ed.D. in Applied Learning Sciences from the University of Miami, where his research focused on psychometric assessment design and adult learning frameworks. He also holds an M.S. in Organizational Learning and Leadership from Barry University, an MBA in Marketing from Lynn University, and is completing an M.S. in Applied AI specializing in Cybersecurity at Northeastern University. The Break In course draws on his doctoral research into career transition frameworks, data from 14 authoritative labor market sources, and direct experience building the DecipherU career platform.
Complete Module 1 (Your Career Profile) and if the course is not what you expected, email us within 30 days of purchase. We will refund the full $297 with no questions asked.
Module 1 gives you a real sample of the course depth and methodology. If the approach does not work for your situation, the rest will not be different.
Frequently asked questions
No. The course starts from zero. It is built for people coming from unrelated careers, recent graduates, IT professionals pivoting to security, and veterans entering the civilian workforce. No prior security knowledge is assumed.
CompTIA Security+ and other certifications test technical knowledge. This course teaches the career strategy: how to position yourself, build a portfolio without experience, network into roles, and negotiate your first offer. Many career changers have certifications but still cannot land interviews. This course addresses that gap.
Most students complete it in 4-8 weeks working a few hours per week. There is no deadline. Lifetime access means you can work through it at any pace and return to any module when you need it.
Complete Module 1 and email us within 30 days of purchase. Full refund, no questions. We do not offer refunds after 30 days or without completing Module 1.
No. No course can guarantee employment. Career transition timelines and outcomes vary by individual effort, local market conditions, target role, and factors outside any course. This course is for educational purposes only.
Ready to break in?
Start with the free career assessment to identify your best entry point before you enroll.
Career transition timelines and outcomes vary by individual. This guide is for educational purposes and does not guarantee employment outcomes.