Episode Information
Show Notes
Description:
In this episode of Career Downloads, host Manuel Martinez sits down with Matthew Wedlow, a seasoned IT professional with a diverse background in networking, cybersecurity, and technical sales. Matthew shares his unconventional path into tech, from working as a bus boy in Las Vegas casinos to becoming a published author and pre-sales engineer at F5 Networks.
Key Topics:
– Matthew’s early career struggles and multiple attempts at college
– How shadowing an IT professional at a casino kickstarted his tech journey
– Certifications can be a powerful tool for breaking into tech and moving up
– Tips for interview preparation and overcoming imposter syndrome
– Don’t be afraid to job-hop if it means advancing your career and skills
– Soft skills and networking are crucial for long-term success in the tech industry
– Always have a career plan and be proactive in pursuing your goals
– Embrace challenges and opportunities to learn, even if they’re outside your comfort zone
Highlights:
– Matthew’s unique approach to job hopping for career growth
– The value of soft skills and networking in the tech industry
– Insights into the world of technical pre-sales
– How to balance technical knowledge with business acumen
Quotes:
“I would say try to learn as much as you can for the different things because it’s all similar and it’s all connected in different ways.” – Matthew Wedlow
“Have a plan, like you’re not going to get jobs aren’t going to come to you, you got to go to them, promotions aren’t going to come to you, raises aren’t going to come to you, you have to go get it.” – Matthew Wedlow
Resources Mentioned:
• CompTIA certifications (A+, Network+, Security+)
• Cisco certifications (CCNA, CCNA Security)
Call-to-Action:
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Tags:
#CareerAdvice #TechCareers #Cybersecurity #NetworkingJobs #ITCertifications #CareerGrowth #TechSales #PodcastInterview
Transcription
Manuel: Welcome everybody, my name is Manuel Martinez and this is another episode of Career Downloads where I hit the refresh button every week and bring on a new guest to have them talk about their career, lessons that they’ve learned, any tips and tricks that they’ve learned along the way and today I have with me Matthew Wedlow. So Matthew has a background in networking, he’s co-authored a book, he’s also done a little bit of teaching at some point during his career. So thank you Matthew for coming on.
Matthew: No, thanks Manny, I’m glad to be here.
Manuel: Appreciate it. So get started so what I’ve been kind of asking a couple people is just give me a little bit background on you and kind of where you grew up and are you originally from Vegas?
Matthew: Okay, yeah, yeah. So I’ve lived in Vegas most of my life. I’ve been here since I was a little kid but I was born in Japan, I come from a military family. So family worked overseas, went to Korea, went after Japan and then we came to California and then we came to Vegas. But since then I’ve been here for most of the time. I did leave for a job for a few years in North Carolina and came back. But yeah, that’s the skinny.
Manuel: All right, cool. So and when you started out, did you go to college for IT or did you even go to college at all...