The First 30 Days: A Beginner’s Checklist to Starting Your IT Career
A free, day-by-day action plan that walks you from
“I have no idea where to start” to “I’m 30 days into a real IT career path in networking.” No fluff. No $1,997 course required to get started. Just the exact 30 days that come before everything else.
Instant download. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Join 3,400+ beginners using this checklist to start their IT career.
As Seen On…
The First 30 Days
Where Do I Even START?
You decided you want to break into IT. You watched a few YouTube videos. You read a Reddit thread. You Googled “CompTIA Network+ vs CCNA” until your eyes glazed over.
And now you have:
- 50 browser tabs open
- 12 different course recommendations
- 3 opinions on which cert to start with
- No idea what to do tomorrow morning
- A creeping feeling that maybe this isn’t going to work for you
This is the part nobody gives you a plan for.
The “first 30 days” is where 80% of people quit. Not because they don’t have the aptitude. Because they don’t have a plan for the first month. So they flounder. They bounce between resources. They never build the daily habit. And six months later, they’re exactly where they started.
This checklist fixes that.
The First 30 Days is the perfect beginning for someone who is just getting started! Get access while it’s still available…
30 Days. 4 Phases. One Clear Path.
The First 30 Days Checklist breaks your first month into four phases.
Each phase has specific, time-boxed tasks.
No “do this whenever you feel like it.”
No “explore what’s interesting to you.”
Just a day-by-day action plan.
Phase 1: Setup (Days 1-3)
- Set up your study environment (second monitor, dedicated notebook, calendar blocks)
- Join r/CompTIA, r/networking, r/ccna, and the Cisco Learning Network
- Install VirtualBox and create your first Windows + Ubuntu virtual machines
- Learn the basic command line: cd, dir/ls, ipconfig/ifconfig, ping, tracert, nslookup
- Sign up for TryHackMe free account, start the “Intro to Cyber” path
Phase 2: Baseline IT Knowledge (Days 4-10)
- Watch the first 15 videos of Professor Messer’s CompTIA A+ Core 1 series (free on YouTube)
- Take hand-written notes — physical notebook or Notion, your call
- Build an Anki flashcard deck from your notes — 20 cards minimum
- Install Cisco Packet Tracer (free from Cisco NetAcad)
- Build your first lab: two routers, a switch, three PCs, static IPs on everything
Phase 3: Pick Your Resources (Days 11-18)
- Read the CompTIA Network+ exam objectives end-to-end (you won’t understand most of it, that’s fine)
- Read the CCNA exam topics end-to-end (same)
- Pick your primary Network+ video instructor (Professor Messer is the safe default)
- Pick your primary CCNA video instructor (Jeremy’s IT Lab on YouTube is the modern default)
- Download Jeremy’s IT Lab CCNA Anki deck
- Book your Network+ test date — 10 weeks out, non-refundable money on the line
Phase 4: First Job Applications (Days 19-30)
- Update your LinkedIn headline to “IT Support Technician (in transition)”
- Set up job alerts on Indeed, LinkedIn, and ZipRecruiter for “help desk,” “IT support,” “service desk”
- Identify 10 local Managed Service Providers (MSPs) in your area
- Apply to your first 5 help desk jobs — even if you don’t feel ready
- Set up a job tracker spreadsheet (target, contact, status, follow-up date)
- Send 5 cold LinkedIn messages to IT hiring managers in your city
- Schedule a 30-day check-in with yourself: “What did I do? What did I avoid? What’s next?”
End of Day 30: You have a study environment, baseline IT knowledge, two primary resources picked, a test date booked, and 5 job applications out the door. That’s more progress than 80% of “cert-first” people make in 6 months.
Start Here…
Where Do I Begin?
In this Free Guide, you’re going to know EXACTLY what most beginners do wrong when first starting out and what to do RIGHT!
You’ll also learn how to get access to the 30,000 foot view of computer networking and the list of the best study sources to get you to a passing knowledge and clarity of networking within 30 days to catapult you into being able to pass the Network+ and CCNA certification tests to advance your career.
Let’s take this journey together down the path of learning how multiple devices and users all share resources over a smooth-running computer network.
Videos
Days of Startup Training
The 30,000 Foot View I provide you presents the basics of computer networking. As a beginner, you will love how much you learn and truly understand about networking in 30 Days! BONUSES: Access to the Beginner’s Networking Course and How To Set Up A Home Networking Lab Kit for less than $100 dollars.
All to PASS the Network+ and CCNA certifications SOON!
What 3,400+ Beginners Are Saying…
Average first 30 days: 12 hours/week of focused study + 10 job applications sent. That’s the entire commitment to get started.
What Happens After You Download
You get the full 30-day checklist as a PDF the moment you sign up. Then over the next 14 days, you’ll get 4 short emails from me:
- Day 1: The PDF download + how to use it (10-minute read)
- Day 3: The 5 mistakes first-timers make in their first 30 days (and how to avoid them)
- Day 7: A subnetting shortcut that takes 14 days to master — start now, profit during the Network+ exam
- Day 14: The 3 questions to ask yourself before you commit to the full 9-month program
No hard sell. No “buy my course” pressure. Just the playbook that gets you from Day 0 to Day 30 without spinning your wheels.
After Day 14, the emails stop unless you want to hear from me again. Click the link in the full 9-month program, and I’ll send you a separate onboarding series for that. Your inbox is yours.
FAQs
Is this really free?
Yes. PDF download, 4 emails, no credit card, no catch. We use email to send you the full program offer after Day 14 because some people want the full 9-month support. If you don’t, unsubscribe anytime and we stop emailing you.
Do I need any IT experience to start this?
None. If you can use a computer, install software, and follow written instructions, you can do all 30 days of this checklist.
Will this checklist actually get me a job?
No checklist will get you a job by itself. What it does is set up the foundation that makes the next 9 months of focused work actually work. By the end of Day 30, you’ll have a study environment, a study plan, a test date, and 5+ job applications out the door. That’s the foundation the job hunt builds on.
How is this different from every other 'get into IT' guide?
Most guides give you a list of resources and say “go do it.” This checklist gives you 30 specific actions, mapped to specific days, with specific outcomes. It’s not a guide. It’s a plan.
What if I miss a day?
Take a breath and get back on track the next day. The point isn’t perfection — it’s direction. Falling off for 2-3 days and resuming is 100x better than quitting because you missed a Tuesday.
Is this the same as the full Zero to Network Admin program?
No. This is the opt-in — the first 30 days, free, designed to get you started. The full program is a 9-month curriculum, study tracks for both certs, the home lab build guide, the job hunt playbook, the interview prep pack, and a private community. The full program is $497. This checklist is your no-risk way to test whether the path is right for you.
Will my email be sold or spammed?
Never. We send 4 emails over 14 days about the IT career path. After that, you can opt in to the full program or unsubscribe. No list sharing, no third-party emails, no “sponsored content.”
About the author.
I started out working at desktop support and within 2 years was working as a highly-paid Network Engineer, but I went through the struggles and the confusion when first starting out.
With over 23 years in the field and the industry, I have seen the struggles and the frustrations newbie computer networking beginners have.
I developed a system for beginners to really GET networking from the ground up and get them to Network+ or CCNA level knowledge in 30 days. I helped over 200 beginners reach admin or engineer positions themselves in a very short time.
I gotta tell ya, I’m on a mission now to get EVERY computer networking beginner or novice to feel as good about this system as I do.
Clint Garrett
Your First 30 Days Start Tomorrow Morning
I WANT MY COPY!
The hardest part of breaking into IT isn’t the certs. It’s the first 30 days. Once you have a plan, an environment, and a test date booked, the next 8 months are just execution.
Don’t spend another weekend refreshing Reddit threads and watching 4-hour “How to Get Into IT” videos on YouTube.
Get the checklist. Start tomorrow.
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