Cybersecurity Certifications for Beginners

I’ll admit: I approached *Cybersecurity Certifications for Beginners* skeptically. The field is drowning in ‘ultimate guides’ that either oversimplify or drown you in details. But Ijlal’s book surprises by doing something rare—it *prioritizes*. Within the first 20 minutes, he dismantles the myth that ‘more certs = better,’ instead mapping certifications to specific roles (e.g., “If you want to be a penetration tester, skip A+ and go straight to eJPT”). That kind of blunt, role-based advice is gold for listeners who need clarity, not a laundry list. Perkinson’s narration elevates the material. He avoids the pitfall of sounding like a corporate training video, injecting just enough conversational warmth to keep the listen engaging. My only critique? The audiobook’s brevity—while refreshing—sometimes leaves me wanting deeper dives into study strategies or salary benchmarks tied to each cert. And while Ijlal’s rankings are opinionated (which I appreciate), a few more real-world anecdotes from hiring managers would’ve added weight. Still, for under two hours, this is the closest thing to a cybersecurity career GPS I’ve heard. If you’re debating whether to drop $700 on a cert, start here first.