Neal Noorman spent years bouncing between jobs that didn’t stick. He served in the Army, deployed to Afghanistan, studied nursing, and ended up working the deli counter at Target. None of it felt like the right path.
Then he built a gaming PC.
“It Just Clicked”
Neal’s buddy walked him through the $3,700 build, but the components weren’t unfamiliar territory. His dad always had a tower in the house growing up. PCIe slots, hard drives, power supplies. Neal knew what he was looking at before anyone explained it.
“I’d never done it before, but it just kind of clicked,” Neal said. “I kind of really do have a knack for this, and this is an industry that I’ve never really tried to pursue. Why not try and do it?”
His VA advisor pointed him toward MyComputerCareer’s Cyber Warrior Program, a 12-week accelerated track built for veterans. The built-in career services sealed the deal.
“As soon as she said the career services that I would receive, and that was guaranteed for life, that sounded like the missing piece of the puzzle for me.”
The Program
Neal earned four CompTIA certifications on his first attempt: A+, Network+, Security+, and CySA+. (He’ll be the first to tell you Network+ was a fight. “I still don’t enjoy subnetting.”)
He credits instructors Grant Gibson and Lawrence Healy for setting the pace. “These two outstanding gentlemen…they are real life walking encyclopedias, wealths of knowledge, incredible men.”
The veteran camaraderie helped, too. His cohort formed a Discord group, leaned on each other through the coursework, and stayed connected after graduation.
120 Applications and a Lot of Silence
The job search tested everything the program built.
“It was rough. It was demoralizing. It made me question myself a lot,” Neal said. “It was very dark.”
Over four months, he applied to more than 120 companies. Most said no. Some told him he seemed talented and qualified, then said no anyway.
Career services advisor Jewel McKnight kept battling. She sent five to 20 job listings per week, submitted his resume directly to employers, and rebuilt the document with him five times.
“I would not be here without Jewel,” Neal said. “I would not have found this job without Jewel.”
Coming Home
The career call came while Neal was driving to another interview at a factory with no air conditioning and no benefits. The offer: floating IT support technician for the school district he attended as a kid, covering six elementary schools.
“It felt like a gift from God,” he said.
Now he’s supporting the same schools that gave him his start. Right before joining the Get Into IT Live broadcast, he wrapped up a one-on-one with the district’s CIO. His next goal? Join the network team. And someday, sit in that CIO’s chair himself.
His Advice
“If you truly enjoy computers and working with your hands, if you want a program with instructors that will solidify the foundational building blocks to help you get started, if you want a career services team that just won’t quit, make the jump and come to the starting line of MyCC. And if you put in the work and the time, they’ll get you to the finish line and the winner’s circle after.”
Ready to start your own IT career? Learn more about our programs.