Get Into IT: The Podcast

Neal Noorman was working at Target, unhappy with where his career was going, and knew he needed a change. As an Army veteran who grew up around computers, he enrolled in MyComputerCareer's Cyber Warrior Program, earned four CompTIA certifications, and hit the job search hard. More than 100 applications hard.

The one that said yes? The school district he attended as a kid.

This week on Get Into IT Live, Neal talks about the grind, the wins, and landing in a career where he says he's never been happier.

We'll cover:

- What it took to go from retail to IT

- How the Cyber Warrior Program prepared him for the field

- Passing four cert exams (and the one that almost got him)

- What 100+ applications teaches you about persistence

- How support from Career Services impacted his search

- Advice for veterans and career changers considering IT

A lot of people get as far as the website and stop. Not because they're not interested, but because they don't know what comes next or how the process works.

This week on Get Into IT Live, we're sitting down with MaryAnn Alvarado, assistant director of admissions at MyComputerCareer, to walk through the full enrollment journey from first contact to first day of class. MaryAnn and her team talk to prospective students daily, and she's heard the questions, the concerns, and the reasons people almost didn't enroll. We’ll discuss:

- What happens during that first call with an admissions advisor

- How the team helps you figure out which program is the right fit

- Financial aid, GI Bill, scholarships, and other ways to pay for training

- The difference between campus and live online options

- What to expect between enrollment and your first day of class

You've submitted dozens of resumes. Maybe hundreds. And you're not hearing back.

So where's the disconnect?

This week on Get Into IT Live, we're joined by Whitney Ortiz, certified professional resume writer and DoD training & development manager at RecruitMilitary. Whitney works with job seekers and employers every day, and she's going to discuss what's working, what's not, and what you can do to break through.

We're covering:

- Why resumes go unanswered and where the breakdown happens

- How AI and ATS screening tools are shaping the hiring process on both sides

- What recruiters look for when they land on your LinkedIn profile

- How career changers and transitioning service members can present their experience 

- What networking should look like in 2026

Whether you're a veteran transitioning to civilian work, switching careers into IT, or a recent graduate trying to land that first role, this one's for you.

If you've been watching The IT Blitz, you already know lead instructor Jim Atria. If you haven't, this is your introduction. With nearly 50 episodes in the can and recent features in The AI Journal, eCampus News, and CBS 17's Job Alert, Jim has been one of the loudest voices in the room on what's really happening in IT right now.

This week on Get Into IT Live, we're sitting down with Jim to dig into the stories and themes he's been tracking on The IT Blitz, from tariff-driven PC pricing chaos to the skills debate reshaping IT careers. We'll discuss:

- Why leaning too hard on AI tools could be holding IT professionals back

- What "friction maxxing" is and why it's showing up in IT skill development conversations

- The Rampacolypse: what tariff-driven pricing is doing to the PC market

- Why companies that replaced workers with automation keep hiring those workers back

- His take on Microsoft, vibe coding, and the real state of entry-level IT in 2026

Most veterans know how to serve. Not all of them know how to sell themselves on a resume.

This week on Get Into IT Live, we're sitting down with Jeremy Karr, Career Advisor at VetJobs. VetJobs and its sister organization Military Spouse Jobs have placed over 121,000 veterans, military spouses, and caregivers into careers, all at no cost. Jeremy spent 20 years in the U.S. Army before transitioning into civilian recruiting, and now he helps veterans and military families navigate the job search every day.

Join us for an honest conversation about:

- Translating military experience into a resume that gets noticed

- The biggest mistakes veterans and military spouses make in the job search

- What employers want to see when you don't have years of experience

- How the first-ever college partnership between MyComputerCareer and VetJobs is connecting veterans with IT careers

Plus, get details on the free MyComputerCareer Virtual IT Career Fair on Wednesday, September 16th, 2-6 PM EST.

Whether you're a veteran, a military spouse, or anyone making a career change, this one's for you.

What happens when you step away from a career field for five years and then decide to come back? That's the question at the center of this week's episode. 

Juan "Leo" Espinoza spent nearly 14 years in the U.S. Army as a Systems Maintainer and Integrator, with assignments that included intelligence operations in Germany and a deployment to Iraq. After leaving the military in 2020, life took some unexpected turns. Five years later, Leo made the decision to get back into IT, enrolled in the Cyber Warrior Program at MyComputerCareer, and stacked up a serious set of CompTIA certifications along the way.

This week on Get Into IT Live, Leo joins us to talk about:

- Coming back to IT after years away from the field

- Why he chose a formal training program over recertifying on his own

- The TikTok ad that started it all

- Why he sees his current role as a bridge, not a destination

- Advice for veterans considering a move into IT

Watch the live show here: https://youtube.com/live/pqSAyMTElmc

The most widely used learning management system in higher ed got hacked. Colleges are offering degrees in nine months. And students are turning down Ivy League universities for schools that can prove a return on investment.

This week on Get Into IT Live, we sit down with Alcino Donadel, editor at University Business magazine, to break down three of his recent articles shaping the conversation around education and cybersecurity.

We're covering:

- What the Canvas cyberattack means for students and cybersecurity pros

- Why faster degrees are gaining ground and what critics have to say

- How career outcomes and ROI are reshaping the college search

Watch the live here: https://youtube.com/live/-irHCTqU0O4

Whether you're studying for certs, weighing your education options, or already working in IT, this one's worth your lunch break.

One job opening changed the direction of this guest's entire career. Carlos Cameron left college to pursue an accelerated path into IT, and along the way an opportunity from his Career Services team sent him overseas to train as an Electronics Technician in Hungary. Now he's been promoted to Incoming Quality Assurance Supervisor at Foxconn, and he's here to tell us how it all happened.

Carlos is a U.S. Army veteran who spent years as a Document Specialist and Visual Information Specialist before making the jump into tech. He came through MyComputerCareer's ITSA, CSS, and CSE programs and holds certifications including CompTIA A+, Security+, Linux Essentials, and Microsoft Azure Fundamentals.

Join us live as we talk about: 

*Leaving college to pursue a faster path into IT 

*What it was like training overseas in Hungary 

*How one opportunity led to a promotion 

*His advice for veterans and career changers considering IT

Watch the live show here: https://youtube.com/live/U-lmO2wHBtA

AI is taking jobs. That's the headline. Here's what the hiring data says.

This week on Get Into IT Live, we're sitting down with Dr. James Stanger, Chief Technology Evangelist at CompTIA, to separate the panic from the numbers. We’ll discuss:

-Why the panic over AI wiping out entry-level IT jobs doesn't line up with the hiring 

  data

-What does tech employment growth look like compared to the rest of the U.S. 

  workforce

-Whether or not IT is still a viable career path

-What "AI skills" really means in a job posting

-Where James thinks the entry-level IT market stands two years from now

Watch the live show here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydxGVJB4GZE&t=1859s

Is the technology you use every day quietly stressing you out? You're not alone, and there's a name for what you're feeling.

Journalist and author Mike Elgan has been covering technology for decades. His recent Computerworld piece "People Are Getting Sick of AI, Literally" identifies a wave of brand-new conditions, from job fear to digital burnout to people forming emotional bonds with software, that a lot of people are feeling but couldn't quite name until now.

This week on Get Into IT Live, Mike joins us to make sense of it all.

- What is "AI FOMO" and who is deliberately manufacturing it?

- Why are coders, copyeditors, and other professionals losing sleep over their careers?

- What is "Automated Ghosting Syndrome" and why should job seekers care?

- Is there a version of this story that ends well?

Skeptical about AI? Love AI? Either way this is a great one to join.