Overview
This article uses a simple meal analogy to explain how hiring leaders often evaluate IT and cybersecurity candidates. Each stage of a career builds on the previous one, and balance matters more than chasing a single ingredient.
How I Evaluate a Candidate
With decades of experience reviewing resumes and interviewing candidates, this is the order I naturally evaluate people. When candidates present themselves in this structure, they consistently stand out in saturated hiring markets.
The Appetizer, Education and Training
College degrees, bootcamps, and formal training are the starting point. They introduce foundational concepts and show initial commitment. Like an appetizer, they prepare the way but are not meant to be the main substance of a career.
The Main Course, Certifications
Certifications represent the core of technical validation. They demonstrate that you understand the fundamentals and can apply structured knowledge. In competitive markets, certifications often separate serious candidates from casual applicants.
The Dessert, Hands On Platforms and Homelabs
Practical platforms such as TryHackMe or Hack The Box showcase applied learning. Homelabs and personal projects add even more value, especially when paired with a personal website that explains architecture choices like domain registration, DNS configuration, email setup, cloud hosting, CDN usage, and security decisions. This is where curiosity and passion show up clearly.
The Final Course, Experience
Experience is the depth and richness of a candidate. Full time roles, internships, volunteer work, and real world problem solving all count. While experience is critically important, in today’s saturated market it often makes the strongest impact after the foundation, certifications, and hands on work are clearly established.
Why Balance Matters
A strong IT or cybersecurity career is built like a complete meal. Education, certifications, hands on practice, and experience all play a role. Skipping courses or over focusing on one area often weakens the overall impression.
Final Thought
Candidates who present a balanced, intentional career story consistently rise above the noise. Build your career with purpose, stay curious, and always stay hungry for knowledge.
Mahalo