Career Path Partners
AI  ·  Cyber  ·  Software
🛡 Cybersecurity Track · beginner to leadership

Break into cybersecurity,
and keep climbing.

From complete beginner with no degree to job-ready SOC analyst, and all the way to security leadership. Real hands-on labs, industry certifications, and instructors who've actually done the work. Start free.

Free 45-min roadmap call · no experience needed · built for working adults
Cybersecurity roles are open right now, waiting doesn't keep the door open.
3Industry certs
0Degree required
15–20Hours a week
$50–140kRole range*
◗ Break in · Beginner → SOC Analyst

Get hired in cyber, no degree required

A structured, hands-on path built for adults starting from zero, three industry certifications, real security projects, and coaching to actually get the job.

The certifications

Credentials employers actually screen for

N+

CompTIA Network+

Foundation

The networking fundamentals every security role is built on, where the concepts finally click.

S+

CompTIA Security+

Core credential

One of the most widely recognized foundational cybersecurity certifications in the world.

HTB

HTB Certified Defensive Security Analyst

Applied & hands-on

A third-party, practical defensive-security credential, proof you can do the work, not just pass a test.

How it works

From zero to exam-ready

Everything you touch is mapped directly to the certification exam domains, no busywork, no guesswork.

Step 0

Your free roadmap call

Free

A free 45-minute call with a real advisor, we map where you are to the path, answer everything, and you leave with your roadmap either way.

Phase 1

Foundational understanding

Start from zero

Concepts, context, and threat awareness, the mental model of how security actually works, built for someone with no background.

Phase 2

Applied security environments

Live-fire

Practice in a virtual Security Operations Center, guided labs aligned to exam objectives, real analyst investigation workflows, alerts to triage, logs to read.

Phase 3

Readiness & certification

No guesswork

Data-driven eligibility verification confirms you're actually ready before you schedule and sit the exam, so you walk in confident.

See it for yourself

This is what the inside looks like

No mystery, no "trust us." A readiness dashboard tracks exactly where you stand in every exam domain, and the system won't let you schedule the exam until the data says you'll pass.

EXAM READINESS OVERVIEW42%
NetworkingStrengths: IPv4/v6 · Focus: Audit
READY
Security OperationsStrengths: Logs · Gap: SIEM
IN PROGRESS
Risk ManagementGap: Modeling · Focus: Probability
NOT READY
🔒 Exam scheduling locked until indicators are met. Data-driven eligibility, no guesswork.

Your first 7 days

Day 1

Your onboarding, account set up, first module open, and you’re inside a real security environment within the hour.

Day 2–3

First foundations module: how networks actually move data, and where attackers live in that picture.

Day 4–5

Your first guided investigation, real logs, a suspicious sign-in, and the exact questions an analyst asks.

Day 7

You triage your first SIEM alert in the virtual SOC. Not reading about the work, doing it.

Proof, not claims

Real projects you can show employers

You don't just study for a test, you finish with security work you can point to in an interview.

SIEM Operations

Review real security alerts and correlate events across systems the way a working SOC analyst does.

Phishing Attack Simulation

Dissect and investigate phishing scenarios, spotting the signals most people miss.

Intrusion Detection

Hunt for indicators of compromise in the logs and decide what a real incident looks like.

Get hired

Certs qualify you. This gets you the job.

The Career Execution System turns skills and certifications into offers, so you stop guessing and start navigating the hiring process.

✓ A résumé that passes screening ✓ Interview reps & prep ✓ How hiring teams actually evaluate you ✓ Communicating your hands-on experience ✓ Extended career support
Who it's for

Built for people starting from scratch

Complete beginners

No degree, no experience, no IT background needed. The path is designed to start you at zero.

Veterans & career changers

Bring your discipline and life experience; we supply the technical skills and the credential.

Working adults

Flexible and self-paced with live support, designed to fit 15–20 hours a week around a full-time job.

Your instructors

Taught by people who've done it

JHJacob Hess

Jacob Hess

Network engineer · Air Force veteran

An entrepreneur and Air Force veteran who co-founded a cybersecurity training academy. He teaches the network and security fundamentals that make beginners genuinely job-ready, practical skills over theory.

Air Force veteranNetwork engineerBeginner-friendly
PGPatrick Gorman

Patrick “InfoSec Pat” Gorman

15+ yrs IT & cybersecurity

A former Senior Security Professional and Offensive Security Lead with 15+ years in the field. He breaks hard concepts down until they finally click, the reason students say “best explanation by far.”

Ex-Offensive Security Lead15+ years in the fieldHands-on labs

Your first cybersecurity job starts with a free call.

Deploy it, see the work, and check your eligibility, no experience and no degree required.


Security leadership

Already in security? The next move is the C-suite.

Our CISO programs with Dr. Eric Cole, CISO certification, the Becoming a CISO workshop, and the vCISO path, turn practitioners into security leaders.

Explore the CISO programs →
The receipts

30+ five-star reviews

Students consistently call out clear explanations, real-world labs, and instruction that finally makes it make sense.

★★★★★

“Best explanation by far. You make it so easy.”

Verified student review
★★★★★

Clear, visual, and genuinely hands-on, the labs made the concepts stick instead of just memorizing.

Verified student review
★★★★★

Started from zero and finished with real projects I could actually talk about in interviews.

Verified student review
Individual results vary.
Before you start

Straight answers

Do I need a degree or any experience?
No. The beginner path is built for adults starting from zero, no degree, no IT background, no prior experience. You'll be hands-on in real labs from your first week.
How much time does it take?
Plan on roughly 15–20 hours a week. It's flexible and self-paced with live support, and it's specifically designed for people working a full-time job.
Which certifications will I earn?
The path prepares you for CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+, and the Hack The Box Certified Defensive Security Analyst, foundational plus applied, hands-on proof.
Is a job guaranteed?
No, and anyone who promises that isn't being straight with you. Employers make hiring decisions. What you get is real skills, three industry certifications, projects that prove them, and a Career Execution System to navigate hiring.
What does it cost?
Start with the free roadmap call, there's no cost to confirm it's a fit and see exactly what the path looks like. We discuss the program and options from there.
I'm not a “tech person.” Can I really do this?
Yes. The whole point is starting from zero with structure and live support. Students who were sure they weren't technical are the ones leaving the reviews above.

The door is open right now.

Cybersecurity roles are sitting unfilled today. Book your free call, check your eligibility, and take the first real step.

*Salary range is a market reference, not a guarantee. Career Path Partners does not provide job placement, guarantee interviews, or promise employment or income; services are advisory and educational and individual results vary. Certification names are the property of their respective owners.