The Cybersecurity Career You Can Break Into From Help Desk (IAM Director Interview)

The Cybersecurity Career You Can Break Into From Help Desk (IAM Director Interview)

They keep talking about SOC analysts and pen testers. Nobody talks about IAM — and that's exactly why you should.   Steve London has been hiring, building, and leading Identity & Access Management teams for years. In this conversation, he pulls back the curtain on the one cybersecurity discipline that's gone from overlooked to absolutely critical — and explains exactly how to get in, even if you have zero IAM experience today.   👤 Guest: Steve London — Director of IAM | Cybersecurity Leader | Industry Veteran   Steve has hired IAM professionals across enterprise environments in healthcare and financial services. He's seen thousands of resumes, run hundreds of interviews, and built IAM programs from the ground up. He's the kind of person you rarely get access to — and he held nothing back.   https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-london-cissp/   💡 What You'll Learn in This Episode: - What IAM engineers actually do day-to-day (it's not what most people think) - Why "identity is the new perimeter" and what that really means for your career - The honest career ladder: analyst → engineer → architect → director → consultant - SailPoint vs Savant vs CyberArk vs Okta — which platform to focus on in 2026 - What Steve actually looks for on a resume (hint: it's not your CISSP) - The two interview questions he uses to stress-test every candidate - How AI is disrupting IAM — deepfakes, ghost employees, and agent access risks - Why a PhD on your resume might actually be hurting your chances - What it takes to go from manager to director in cybersecurity   🧠 Key Discussion Points: ✅ IAM is broader than ever — it now pulls in security ops, risk management, and architecture skills ✅ Most IAM professionals fell into the field from somewhere else — AD admins, trainers, SOC analysts ✅ Attitude + aptitude beats certifications. Steve hires for willingness to learn above all else ✅ The #1 breach vector is still credential compromise through phishing — IAM is the last line of defense ✅ AI tools like autonomous agents are creating entirely new IAM risks organizations aren't ready for ✅ SailPoint and Savant are currently neck-and-neck as the dominant platforms — know both ✅ The consulting path in IAM is underrated and highly lucrative for specialists Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

8 Highest Paying Tech Careers in 2026 (No Coding Required)

Most people think the only way to make money in tech is by becoming a software engineer or learning hardcore coding.   But in 2026, some of the highest-paying tech careers are actually non-coding or low-coding roles that most students have never even heard about.   In this video, we break down 8 insanely high-paying tech careers that are quietly paying $150K, $200K, or even $250K+ salaries in companies across AI, cloud, enterprise software, manufacturing, consulting, and digital transformation.   You’ll understand: • What these jobs actually do • Why companies are struggling to hire for them • Which skills are becoming valuable in 2026 • Which roles are future-proof because of AI • How people from non-traditional backgrounds are entering these careers • And why the tech industry is changing faster than most students realize   We cover careers like: AI Product Manager FinOps Specialist ServiceNow Consultant SAP Consultant Technical Program Manager AI Governance / AI GRC MES Business Analyst Digital Transformation Consultant   If you are confused about: tech jobs in 2026, AI careers, software engineering, future careers, remote jobs, high-paying skills, career growth, AI replacing jobs, or how to build a successful career in tech… this video is for you.   This is NOT another generic “learn coding” video.   This is the real side of the tech industry nobody talks about.   Timestamp: 00:00 - Introduction 00:55 - 8. Digital Transformation Consultant 03:26 - 7. AI Product Manager 05:35 - 6. Technical Project Manager 07:40 - 5. ServiceNow Consultant 09:29 - 4. AI Governance 10:57 - #3 Highest Paying Tech Job 12:49 - #2 Highest Paying Tech Job 14:41 - #1 Highest Paying Tech Job Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Cybersecurity Career AI Can't Replace: Inside GRC With a Real CISO

GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) is the most slept-on cybersecurity career in tech — and the one AI can't replace.  In this episode, former Mount Sinai CISO and ISACA South Florida president Ryan Barras [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-barras-544a901/] breaks down the GRC career path: how a GRC analyst rises to manager, director, deputy CISO, and CISO, what the day-to-day actually looks like, and why governance, risk, and compliance sits at the top of the security pyramid. We cover how to get into cybersecurity through GRC, the certifications that matter (Security+, CISM, CISA, CISSP), why 70% of the job is communication, and how AI is reshaping third-party risk management, policy development, and AI governance — without killing the human in the loop.   If you're exploring cybersecurity jobs, a GRC career, or how to pivot into security without a traditional coding background, this is your blueprint. ⏱️ IN THIS EPISODE 00:00 Introduction to GRC and Its Importance 03:02 Career Path in GRC 05:47 Day-to-Day Responsibilities of a GRC Analyst 09:10 Skills for Progression in Cybersecurity 12:05 The Role of AI in GRC 15:02 Credentials and Hiring in GRC 18:14 Insights from Experience as CISO 21:07 Challenges in Different Industries 22:28 Identifying Organizational Gaps and Resource Constraints 24:30 AI Governance and Its Challenges 25:49 The Evolving Role of the CISO 28:29 Navigating Vendor Breaches 31:48 Current Job Market Trends in Cybersecurity 36:23 Networking and Mentorship in Security 38:41 Overrated Roles and Future Trends in Security 40:53 Final Tips for Aspiring Security Professionals Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Cloud Engineer Salaries: $60/hr vs $400k/year

Cloud engineer salary in 2026 ranges from $60K to over $400K — and this cloud jobs report breaks down exactly why. I analyzed 9 real cloud engineer and cloud architect job descriptions posted in the last 60 days, sorted them into 3 pay tiers, and reverse-engineered the skills that separate a $60K cloud admin from a $400K architect. Spoiler: it comes down to three things — Terraform proficiency, greenfield (build-from-scratch) experience, and communication skills that let you influence direction instead of just executing tickets. This is your Cloud Engineer Roadmap in 2026! In this video you'll learn: ✅ The 3 cloud pay tiers — from $60/hr admin work to $400K total comp ✅ Why Terraform is the non-negotiable entry ticket to Tier 2 ✅ The "greenfield" experience gap that doubles your rate ✅ Azure, AWS & GCP roles that are actually hiring right now ✅ How to move from operating cloud → building cloud → deciding architecture ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 Introduction: The Gap Between Good and Great Pay 1:49 The Universal Baseline: Terraform and Communication 3:01 Tier 1: The Cloud Operator ($60-$75/hr) 4:22 Tier 2: The Infrastructure Builder ($100-$130/hr) 7:03 Tier 3: The Cloud Decider ($180k-$400k) 8:51 Key Patterns for High-Paying Cloud Roles 10:44 Action Plan: How to Move Up the Tiers 🎙️ The Tech Jobber Podcast uncovers hidden tech careers paying $150K–$800K+.  To get a start in Cloud look at former Guest Broadus Palmer's Level Up In Tech: https://www.skool.com/luit-academy/about?ref=674cbede79de482fa76b88623c0cf89e New episodes ever week! 👇 Which tier are you in right now? Drop it in the comments — I read every single one. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why 95% of AI Projects Fail (From the Guy Who Fixes Them)

Amazon will fund your company's AI project — and almost nobody knows it. In this episode of The Tech Jobber Podcast, Evan Solomon, Founder & CEO of EFS Networks (one of just 65 firms at AWS's highest AI consulting tier, out of 250,000+ partners worldwide), reveals how AWS funds enterprise AI projects — from a $15K–$30K scoping phase to a $100K–$1M+ build — and why 95% of enterprise AI initiatives still fail anyway. Spoiler: it's almost never the model. It's the business.   Evan has spent 22 years building EFS Networks from a small systems integrator into a dual-AI-competency AWS partner that enterprises call when their AI project has already stalled — or caught fire. In this conversation we break down exactly why most AI for business initiatives collapse, the data and governance gaps that kill them, and the specific skills that make you nearly impossible to replace in the AI era.   Chapters: 0:00 Introduction to Evan Solomon and EFS Solutions 1:04 Transitioning from Independent Consultant to Firm Owner 4:45 The Strategy of Phase-Based Project Delivery 6:41 Building Trust with Technical Sales and Experience 8:37 Navigating High-Tier Partnerships with AWS and ServiceNow 13:21 Competing with Global Consulting Giants 15:14 The Three Phases of Corporate AI Adoption 18:01 The Necessity of Data Structure and Business Processes 21:51 ROI Pressures and AI's Impact on the Job Market 24:11 Consumer vs. Enterprise AI Governance 29:34 Advice for Aspiring Consultants and AI Funding Programs   What you'll learn in this episode:  • Why 95% of enterprise AI projects fail — the 3-phase collapse from ungoverned tool sprawl to the board-level "screeching halt" when ROI was never scoped  • The real root cause: no foundational data structure and undocumented business processes ("garbage in, garbage out") • How AWS actually funds AI projects — and how to get in front of that money  • Why AI governance, security, and ROI measurement have to come first, not last • The "license to learn" mindset — why research, puzzle-solving, and intermediate industry knowledge beat narrow technical skills  • Why data science and data governance certifications are the smartest on-ramp into AI right now • What it really takes to start and scale a tech consulting firm — "dating the customer," selling in phases, and why every one of Evan's salespeople is an engineer   🎙️ The Tech Jobber Podcast uncovers hidden tech careers paying $150K–$800K+, real salary paths, and insider strategy from the people actually doing the hiring. New episodes weekly. 👉 Subscribe so you don't miss the next one: @techjobberpod/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyrxBCde2MK_IAe7lhrNGPQ 🔔 Hit the bell for new episodes every Tuesday.   Connect with Evan Solomon: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evansolomon/ 🌐 EFS Networks: www.efssolutions.comenterprise   Get vidIQ to grow your channel faster! 🚀https://vidiq.com/techjobberpod [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbk4xRHd5T3FDbEZSTzNUVjJDYjBOX3dJQW9JZ3xBQ3Jtc0tubXBxU1c4UVRUd0cyNmtfQVBXSmVaNkhHSlRiUXBQLWRQbWh6bXJWV3lOY2ctRUY2Z2R0QzRKX0RiVkFCdXZSeDZ2TFpyWHdDTFM2RUJwT3pURWwzcER4OE1ONTJ0dVJYNktobEdMMG0yUUR0Y0dYYw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fvidiq.com%2Ftechjobberpod&v=zhdYnupaJcE]    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.