Tech Jobber Podcast

I Researched 6 Network Engineer Specialties. One pays $875/Day.

Discover the 6 Network Engineer Specialties paying $150K–$400K+ in 2026.   We’re breaking down: Arista Cloud Vision, Tufin, and Network Automation paths that generalists are missing. Most network engineers are stuck earning $95K–$140K as generalists. The ones earning $250K, $350K, even $400K+ aren't smarter — they specialized in 6 boring, high-leverage skills that nobody else is training for.   In this episode of the Tech Jobber Podcast, I break down the 6 niche network engineering skills paying $200–$400/hour in 2026, plus the 6 trends reshaping the entire network engineer roadmap — from Python automation to Zero Trust SASE, Arista AVD, InfiniBand for AI clusters, and VXLAN/EVPN datacenter fabric design.   I've recruited for these roles. I've seen offers for $875/day on senior network engineer contracts. I've watched bank-grade network automation specialists bill $80–$91/hour W2 (equivalent to $180–$220K annually). And the SASE consultants? They're charging $400–$600/hour.   🎯 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN ✅ The 6 niche network engineer skills paying $200–$400/hour ✅ Why Python fluency is the difference between $95K and $140K at the same company ✅ How firewall-as-code became its own six-figure specialty ✅ Why InfiniBand + Nvidia certifications are the new CCIE ✅ How AI is dragging networking back to on-prem (and creating $350K architect roles) ✅ The 18–24 month specialization plan that takes you from generalist to specialist   🔑 SKILLS COVERED - Tufin (firewall governance) - Arista CloudVision + AVD - Bank-Grade Network Automation (Python, Ansible, Git, ServiceNow) - Zero Trust + SASE Architecture (Zscaler, Cloudflare, Netskope, Palo Alto Prisma) - InfiniBand + Nvidia AI Enterprise - Broadcast + Media Network Transport (SMPTE 2110, PTP, Multicast)   📈 TRENDS RESHAPING NETWORK ENGINEERING IN 2026 - Network Engineer → Network Developer (Python is now table stakes) - Firewall-as-code as a standalone specialty - Cloud networking at CCNA-level expectation - VXLAN + EVPN replacing BGP for datacenter fabric - ServiceNow + GitOps for change management - AI workloads forcing on-prem network architecture   💬 Drop a comment: Which of these 6 skills are you stacking first? I read every single one.   🔔 Subscribe for more hidden tech career deep-dives — $150K to $800K+ roles nobody's applying for. 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.

Top Tech Recruiter Reveals Why Staffing Is Broken in 2026 (1,300+ Placements)

Top tech recruiter Mike Mello [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-mello-7884b059/] reveals why staffing is broken in 2026 — and what it means for every engineer, recruiter, and tech professional trying to navigate AI hiring. After placing 1,300+ candidates and building a $40K/week book of business as a top biller, Michael walked away from the agency game to launch SimpleSide AI and expose what's really happening behind the scenes.  In this episode, we break down the death of cold calling, why enterprise accounts have collapsed for staffing agencies, the rise of AI-powered candidate vetting (including facial recognition to catch fake candidates), and how the smartest recruiters are quietly making $20K–$60K/month by niching down to mid-market clients between 50–500 employees. Whether you're a tech recruiter trying to stay relevant, a job seeker wondering why no one's calling you back, or an agency leader watching your margins evaporate — this is the unfiltered insider conversation no one in the staffing world will publish. 🔥 What you'll learn: ✅ Why Fortune 500 enterprise accounts are dead for staffing agencies ✅ How AI is detecting fake candidates (facial recognition + behavioral signals) ✅ The mid-market shift: why 50–500 employee companies are the new gold mine ✅ What killed the old-school cold call (and what replaced it) ✅ The content + outbound automation stack top recruiters use in 2026 ✅ Why hyper-niche specialization beats generalist recruiting every time ✅ The brutal truth about top-biller pay ($20K–$60K/month tier) ⏱️ CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction to Tech Recruitment and Mike Mello 02:42 The Evolution of Recruitment Strategies 05:04 Navigating Candidate Vetting and Technology 07:42 Shifts in the Recruitment Agency Landscape 10:14 Leveraging AI and Automation in Recruitment 13:01 Content Creation and Building Trust 15:44 Advice for New Recruiters in a Changing Market 18:19 Building a Personal Brand in Recruitment 21:45 Niche Down for Success 22:46 The Importance of Content in Staffing 24:11 Overcoming Fear of Vulnerability 25:44 Managing Emotions in High-Pressure Environments 27:32 Evolving Agency Culture 28:30 Leveraging Podcasting for Business Development 33:54 Navigating a Saturated Market 36:16 Finding Success in Niching Down 37:32 The Future of AI and Staffing 38:36 Simple Side: A Tailored Approach to Staffing 👤 GUEST: Michael Mello — Founder, SimpleSide AI | 1,300+ tech placements as top biller/https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-mello-7884b059/ www.simpleside.ai [https://www.linkedin.com/safety/go/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Esimpleside%2Eai&urlhash=-aQD&mt=sixB4J9rVKwx2_iQm0R20eI-cia1nFUjijxVAuwUGToV8CiUblaIUmlrU7zoXLa7K9PpCYDQdIShokkqAZGgt7bdk9_WK6QIrMIZukIS2DtZhfb4v-kVaysT&isSdui=true] 🎙️ HOST: Chris Schwenk — 17 years in tech recruiting | Tech Jobber Podcast  /https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherschwenk/ 📌 SUBSCRIBE for hidden tech careers paying $150K–$800K+ → [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyrxBCde2MK_IAe7lhrNGPQ] 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 $400K AI Infrastructure Jobs Nobody Is Applying For

IT Infrastructure Careers are exploding in 2026! While everyone's panicking about AI replacing tech jobs, a 17-year infrastructure executive just revealed which careers are quietly paying $300K–$400K — and almost nobody is applying.    In this episode, Edward Morando (infrastructure executive at a Fortune 500 client) breaks down the AI infrastructure career roadmap for 2026: the exact roles, stacks, and certifications that are turning $60K engineers into $400K total comp cloud architects — remotely, from anywhere in the U.S.   🎯 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN  ✅ The $400K Cloud Architect path Edward is paying right now (individual contributor, not management)  ✅ Why Ed says "Oracle DBAs are back" — and the database role quietly powering the entire AI stack  ✅ The "AI Native Infrastructure" career — Ed's #1 jumping spot for new grads in 2026  ✅ Why InfiniBand, Kubernetes, and OpenShift are the highest-leverage skills of the next 5 years  ✅ How ServiceNow, Salesforce, and Workday specialists are making $200K–$300K remotely from Kansas  ✅ The "down and in vs. up and out" framework — why most senior engineers cap out at Director  ✅ Why Ed says "we're in the 1990s dot-com bubble all over again" for AI infrastructure talent  ✅ The Nvidia stack truth — and why deploying/managing AI models is the safest career bet of 2026  ✅ Why a 4-year tech degree "doesn't matter anymore" without practical experience  ✅ The data analytics → AI infrastructure pipeline (the easiest entry path nobody talks about)   💡 EPISODE CHAPTERS  00:00 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOtQAiaav2I] Introduction to the Future of AI Infrastructure  1:32 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOtQAiaav2I&t=92s] The Return of Networking and On-Prem Data Centers  3:09 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOtQAiaav2I&t=189s] Essential Certifications for Infrastructure Careers  5:27 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOtQAiaav2I&t=327s] Cloud Engineering and Data Analytics Roles  7:02 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOtQAiaav2I&t=422s] Mastering Kubernetes and Modern Tech Stacks  8:53 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOtQAiaav2I&t=533s] Assessing AI: Threat vs. Opportunity in IT  9:41 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOtQAiaav2I&t=581s] The Resurgence of Database Administration  11:09 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOtQAiaav2I&t=669s] High-Paying Careers in SaaS Platforms  15:32 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOtQAiaav2I&t=932s] Vetting Talent in the Age of AI Interviews  19:28 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOtQAiaav2I&t=1168s] Hiring for Hunger: Non-Technical Success Stories  21:20 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOtQAiaav2I&t=1280s] The Value of Advanced Degrees at Executive Levels  23:36 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOtQAiaav2I&t=1416s] The Engineer to Management Transition  26:41 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOtQAiaav2I&t=1601s] Individual Contributors vs. Management Tracks  32:47 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOtQAiaav2I&t=1967s] Navigating Corporate Politics and Career Growth  37:38 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOtQAiaav2I&t=2258s] Innovation and Tech Trends in Healthcare  39:14 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOtQAiaav2I&t=2354s] Operational Risks and Testing Priorities  40:49 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOtQAiaav2I&t=2449s] Talent Retention and Market Benchmarking  46:43 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOtQAiaav2I&t=2803s] The Reality of Cybersecurity and Compliance Roles  49:56 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOtQAiaav2I&t=2996s] Looking Ahead: 2026 Career Roadmap   🎙️ ABOUT ED MORANDO Ed is a Fortune 500 IT infrastructure executive who has hired and managed cloud architects, enterprise architects, and AI infrastructure engineers across every major SaaS and on-prem stack. He's seen the comp bands firsthand — and he's blunt about which roles are real, which are hype, and which paths are still wide open. https://www.linkedin.com/in/emorando/   🎙️ ABOUT THE TECH JOBBER PODCAST Hosted by Chris Schwenk — 17 years in tech recruitment, with placements across Fortune 500 clients. We uncover the hidden tech careers paying $150K–$800K+ that nobody's applying for, with real requisitions and insider strategy from hiring managers, not job-board scrapers.   🔔 SUBSCRIBE for weekly deep-dives on hidden tech careers: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyrxBCde2MK_IAe7lhrNGPQ 📩 GUEST INQUIRIES & SPONSORSHIPS: chris@techjobberpod.com 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 You Keep Getting Rejected by Amazon (Insider Recruiter Explains)

Former Amazon Principal Recruiter reveals the exact Amazon interview process — step by step, from application to offer. (Youtube Link in the Comments) Tony Yang, EMBA, CPHR [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyyang409/] spent 10 years hiring engineers and managers inside Amazon and served as a Bar Raiser. He breaks down why strong candidates keep getting rejected — and what to do instead. 🚀 What You'll Learn: - How the Amazon interview process actually works (application → offer) - The truth about the Bar Raiser — and how they can veto your offer - Why strong candidates fail behavioral interviews (not technical skills) - Resume mistakes that trigger automatic rejection - How Amazon's AI screening filters 80% of applicants - Amazon Leadership Principles explained — and how to answer them correctly - How to negotiate your Amazon offer (salary, bonus, RSUs) - Real Amazon software engineer salary ranges 💡 Insider Tips You Can't Miss: - Why applying to too many Amazon roles hurts your candidacy - How to structure your resume for recruiter attention in 6 seconds - The difference between "inclined" vs "not inclined" - How candidates lose money during offer negotiation 🎯 Who This Is For: Software engineers and tech professionals preparing for Amazon interviews — especially if you keep getting rejected and don't know why. 👤 About Tony Yang: Tony Yang is a former Amazon Principal Recruiter and Bar Raiser who helped scale hiring across AWS. He now runs Liminality, a firm that helps candidates land roles at top tech companies. 🔗 Liminality: https://liminality.services/ 🔗 Tony's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyyang409/ 🔔 Subscribe for weekly breakdowns on tech careers, high-paying job paths ($150K–$800K+), and Amazon interview strategy. 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.

Epic EHR Jobs: The $250K Healthcare IT Career Hospitals Don't Advertise

Epic EHR jobs are the highest-paying healthcare IT careers nobody talks about — and you don't need a medical degree, a coding background, or a four-year science program to land one. In this episode of The Tech Jobber Podcast, I break down exactly how to get Epic certified, how the sponsorship system actually works, and how analysts are starting at $82K–$95K, senior analysts pulling $130K–$160K, and Epic consultants clearing $200K–$250K+ per year.   Epic Systems is the #1 electronic health record (EHR) platform in the US — running 42% of hospitals and the medical records of 325 million patients. Every hospital using Epic needs certified analysts, project managers, report writers, and trainers. The catch: Epic certification is locked behind employer sponsorship, which is why this career path is hidden in plain sight. I'll show you the exact 4-step playbook to break in.   🎯 What you'll learn: ✅ What Epic Systems is and why it dominates US healthcare IT ✅ Real Epic analyst, project manager, and consultant salary ranges ✅ How the Epic certification sponsorship system actually works ✅ The entry-level hospital roles that get your foot in the door ✅ The career ladder: Analyst → Senior Analyst → PM → Consultant ✅ Epic modules that pay the most (Beaker, Resolute, OpTime, Beacon) ✅ Why coding is NOT required for most Epic careers   ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 - The $250K Hospital Job Nobody Sees 01:30 - What Epic Systems Actually Is 03:15 - Why Epic Certification Is So Hard to Get 05:00 - Epic Analyst, PM & Consultant Salaries 07:30 - Step 1: Getting Hired by an Epic Hospital 10:00 - Step 2: The Epic Career Ladder 12:30 - Step 3: How Epic Certification Training Works 15:00 - Step 4: The Skills That Actually Matter 17:30 - Your Next Move   🎙️ The Tech Jobber Podcast uncovers hidden tech careers paying $150K–$800K+ — from Forward Deployed Engineers to ServiceNow consultants to Epic analysts. Hosted by Chris Schwenk, 17 years in tech recruitment.   🔔 Subscribe for weekly hidden tech career deep-dives →/@techjobberpod 📩 Pitch a guest or sponsor: chris@techjobberpod.com 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.