Build a cybersecurity portfolio that survives the 30-second test. I click 60% of the GitHub links on CVs I review, and I decide whether to look further in 30 seconds. Most candidates fail before they realise it's happening.
This guide gives you the exact templates to fix that. A profile README that works as your GitHub landing page. Repository structure templates matched to all 7 career paths, SOC, GRC, Cloud Security, DevSecOps, Penetration Testing, IAM, and DFIR, each one built around what hiring managers in that specific path expect to see. A universal README template you can copy into every project. A step-by-step draw.io tutorial for building clean architecture diagrams. The exact formula for writing "What I Learned" sections that make an interviewer say "tell me more about that." And a complete portfolio review checklist including the 30-second test you can run yourself.
Copy the templates. Fill in your specifics. Stop losing interviews to a portfolio that doesn't explain itself.
Pairs with any career blueprint on YouTube and the CV Template.
The complete hiring process, decoded from the hiring side of the table. Everything between hitting "apply" and landing an interview.
Learn exactly how ATS systems scan and reject CVs, with a hands-on keyword matching exercise you can run on any job posting. A step-by-step CV tailoring method with real before/after examples. LinkedIn profile optimisation showing the exact headline rewrite that makes recruiters find you. A library of 10 hiring manager DM templates for every scenario, from cold outreach to post-interview follow-up. The job description decoder that translates "3-5 years required" and "competitive salary" into what employers actually mean. Plus a complete weekly job hunt schedule and a companion Excel application tracker with dropdown status fields ready to use immediately.
75% of cybersecurity CVs are rejected by software before a human ever sees them. This guide shows you exactly how to get past that, and what to do once you're through.
Pairs with the Job Application Masterclass on YouTube (free) and the Complete Interview Preparation Kit.
Everything you need to walk into any cybersecurity interview ready. Built from real interviews I've conducted as a hiring CISO — every bad answer is one I've actually heard, every good answer is the version that gets a second interview.
20 of the most common cybersecurity interview questions with bad answer vs good answer for each, covering technical foundations, SOC, cloud security, GRC, IAM, and behavioural rounds. 10 fully worked STAR method examples built from home lab scenarios you can adapt to your own projects. A screen share preparation checklist showing exactly how to navigate your GitHub live. Salary negotiation scripts for both UK and US markets. Six questions to ask your interviewer, each with the psychology behind why it works. Plus a complete night-before and morning-of checklist.
Not a video. Not a summary. A working document built to be printed, annotated, and rehearsed against until the answers feel natural.
Pairs with the Interview Masterclass on YouTube (free) and any career blueprint for your target role.
The self-assessment tool built specifically for career changers entering cybersecurity. Map your existing skills to a cybersecurity role, discover your personality type (detective, builder, strategist, or breaker), select your ideal path with confidence, and build a personalised 6-month action plan.
Includes worked examples for teachers, finance professionals, legal and compliance staff, IT support, military and law enforcement, and healthcare workers, showing exactly how your background transfers.
A self-scoring personality assessment matches you to SOC Analyst, GRC Analyst, Cloud Security Engineer, DevSecOps Engineer, IAM Analyst, DFIR Analyst, or Penetration Tester. Fill-in worksheets throughout, not just information to read.
Your previous career isn't a weakness. It's a head start. This workbook shows you exactly how.
Pairs with any career blueprint on YouTube and the matching skill matrix for your chosen path.
IAM Security Lab Build Guide — £5.00
Build a complete Identity & Access Management lab covering both on-premises Active Directory and cloud identity with Microsoft Entra ID and Okta. Step-by-step instructions, working PowerShell scripts, and real Conditional Access policies you can deploy and document.
8 guided build steps: Active Directory domain controller with enterprise OU structure, three working PowerShell automation scripts (onboarding, offboarding, access review), Entra ID with four Conditional Access policies, Okta developer instance with SSO and lifecycle management, a full access review with findings and remediation, non-human identity inventory, and a professional IAM security audit report.
5 hands-on exercises including a full employee lifecycle simulation and privilege escalation detection.
Every command. Every script. Every policy. Plus GitHub documentation templates and architecture diagrams.
Total cost: £0. Windows Server eval is free. Azure free tier is free. Okta developer is free. Build time: 3-4 weekends.
Pairs with the IAM Security Analyst Blueprint video on YouTube (free) and the IAM Analyst Skill Matrix.
IAM Security Lab Build Guide — £5.00
Build a complete Identity & Access Management lab covering both on-premises Active Directory and cloud identity with Microsoft Entra ID and Okta. Step-by-step instructions, working PowerShell scripts, and real Conditional Access policies you can deploy and document.
8 guided build steps: Active Directory domain controller with enterprise OU structure, three working PowerShell automation scripts (onboarding, offboarding, access review), Entra ID with four Conditional Access policies, Okta developer instance with SSO and lifecycle management, a full access review with findings and remediation, non-human identity inventory, and a professional IAM security audit report.
5 hands-on exercises including a full employee lifecycle simulation and privilege escalation detection.
Every command. Every script. Every policy. Plus GitHub documentation templates and architecture diagrams.
Total cost: £0. Windows Server eval is free. Azure free tier is free. Okta developer is free. Build time: 3-4 weekends.
Pairs with the IAM Security Analyst Blueprint video on YouTube (free) and the IAM Analyst Skill Matrix.
Cloud Security Lab Build Guide — £5.00
Build a complete cloud security lab on AWS Free Tier with step-by-step instructions, real Terraform code, and Python scripts you can copy and deploy.
8 guided build steps: secure VPC with public/private subnets, IAM hardening with a working boto3 audit script, KMS encryption on everything, CloudTrail detection pipeline with 6 Lambda alert rules, automated remediation that fixes misconfigurations without human intervention, and a CI/CD security pipeline that blocks insecure deployments.
5 hands-on exercises including a full breach simulation and professional audit report.
Every command. Every code block. Every architecture pattern. Plus a GitHub documentation template so your portfolio looks professional from day one.
Total infrastructure cost: £0. Total tool cost: £0. Build time: 2-3 weekends.
Pairs with the Cloud Security Engineer Blueprint video on YouTube (free) and the Cloud Security Skill Matrix.
Security+ SY0-701 90-Day Study Planner — £5.00
Day-by-day, week-by-week study plan covering all five SY0-701 domains, weighted proportionally to exam impact. Domain 4 (Security Operations, 28%) gets three weeks. Domain 1 (12%) gets one. You study what the exam actually tests.
90 days. 13 weeks. Every day has specific checkbox tasks: which Professor Messer section to watch, what notes to take, when to build flashcards, when to do hands-on labs, and when to take practice exams.
Designed for working adults: 45-60 minutes on weekdays, 2-3 hours on weekends.
Includes: practice exam score tracker with per-domain breakdown, weekly progress checklist, master cheat sheet instructions, PBQ strategy guide, and a complete exam day checklist.
All primary study resources are free. Total cost: ~£365 (exam £350 + practice exams £15).
Pairs with every career blueprint on the channel — Security+ is the universal first step.
Cloud Security Hands-On Projects Guide — £8.00
12 portfolio projects with step-by-step build instructions, real Terraform code, Python scripts, and GitHub documentation templates. Everything you need to build a cloud security portfolio that gets you hired.
Covers: Secure VPC architecture, IAM hardening with a working boto3 audit script, encryption-everywhere deployment, CloudTrail detection pipelines, automated remediation with Lambda, CI/CD security scanning, STRIDE threat modelling, multi-account architecture with SCPs, container hardening with Trivy and Falco, and compliance-as-code with CIS Benchmarks.
Every project includes: exact commands, code you can copy, architecture patterns, a GitHub deliverables checklist, and a README template ready to customise.
All 12 projects buildable on AWS Free Tier. Total infrastructure cost: £0.
Projects 1-5 get you interviews. Projects 6-7 get you offers. Projects 8-10 get you senior consideration.
Pairs with the Cloud Security Engineer Blueprint video on YouTube (free) and the Cloud Security Skill Matrix.
DFIR Analyst Skills Matrix — £5.00
The complete Digital Forensics & Incident Response career roadmap in one spreadsheet. Every skill, tool, certification, and project mapped across 4 phases with timelines, costs, and free resources.
Covers: forensic artefacts (Windows + Linux), Autopsy, Volatility 3, FTK Imager, KAPE, Eric Zimmerman's Tools, Velociraptor, Wireshark, SIEM analysis, investigation report writing, MITRE ATT&CK mapping, and 5 portfolio projects that prove you can investigate real incidents.
Certification path: Security+ → CCD → GIAC GCFE/GCFA. Timeline: 12–14 months. Total cost: £350–£850. Every forensic tool is free.
Includes salary trajectory from £30K entry to £120K+ senior, career transfer map, and job hunt strategy targeting IR consultancies, MSSPs, and law enforcement forensics units.
Pairs with the DFIR Analyst Blueprint video on YouTube (free).
You are struggling to land cyber security interviews? Not sure if this is your CV fault? Let the professional cyber security expert with 10 years worth of experience roast your CV. Once you have made the purchase I will send you an email for CV submission, feedback sent back within 3 business days
IAM Analyst Skills Matrix — £5.00
The complete Identity & Access Management career roadmap in one spreadsheet. Every skill, platform, certification, and project mapped across 4 phases with timelines, costs, and free resources.
Covers: Active Directory, Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, AWS IAM, Conditional Access policies, MFA deployment, Privileged Identity Management, non-human identity governance, PowerShell automation, Python scripting, and 5 portfolio projects that prove you can manage enterprise identity.
Certification path: Security+ → SC-300 Identity & Access Administrator → optional Okta/CyberArk/CAMS specialist certs. Timeline: 10–12 months. Total cost: £480–£545. Every platform is free to learn on.
Includes salary trajectory from £35K entry to £130K+ IAM Architect, career positioning notes (less crowded than SOC, higher starting salary), and job hunt strategy targeting MSPs, consultancies, and enterprise IAM teams.
Pairs with the IAM Security Analyst Blueprint video on YouTube (free).
SOC Analyst Home Lab Build Guide — £5.00
Build a complete Security Operations Centre at home with step-by-step instructions, exact commands, and every tool download link. Four machines. One network. Real attacks. Real detections.
7 guided build steps: VirtualBox hypervisor setup, isolated network configuration, Wazuh SIEM/EDR server deployment, Windows Server target with Sysmon and advanced logging, Wazuh agent connection, Kali Linux attack machine, and pfSense firewall with network segmentation.
10 custom detection rules targeting brute force, privilege escalation, suspicious PowerShell, new service installation, lateral movement, and account creation. Each rule includes the Windows Event ID it monitors and the attack technique it catches.
6 attack-and-detect exercises including network reconnaissance, brute force, credential harvesting, suspicious PowerShell execution, privilege escalation, and a full incident response simulation with a professional IR report.
Includes a Windows Event ID reference guide, GitHub documentation template with repository structure, and Level 2/3 advanced additions (MITRE ATT&CK mapping, TheHive/Cortex SOAR, YARA rules).
Total cost: £0. Every tool is free and open source. Hardware required: any PC with 16GB RAM.
The lab that gets you hired. The project that hiring managers ask you to walk through in every interview.
Pairs with the SOC Analyst Blueprint video on YouTube (free) and the SOC Analyst Skill Matrix.
Cloud Security Engineer Skills Matrix — £5.00
The complete Cloud Security Engineer career roadmap in one spreadsheet. Every skill, tool, certification, and project mapped across 6 phases with timelines, costs, and free resources.
Covers: AWS/Azure/GCP core services, Terraform Infrastructure as Code, Python security automation with boto3, VPC architecture and network segmentation, IAM policy design, encryption (KMS, S3, EBS, RDS), CloudTrail detection pipelines, Lambda automated remediation, CI/CD security scanning, container security, and 12 hands-on projects from foundational to advanced.
Certification path: Security+ → CCSK (Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge) → AWS Security Specialty or AZ-500 (employer-funded). Timeline: 10 months. Total cost: ~£715. Every tool and cloud platform has a free tier.
Includes salary trajectory from £55K entry to £150K+ senior architect, the highest-paid technical entry path in cybersecurity. The single skill that separates analysts (£40–50K) from engineers (£70–90K) is Terraform — and this matrix shows you exactly when and how to learn it.
The career path with the biggest skills gap and the least competition. 65% of organisations report they can't find qualified cloud security talent.
Pairs with the Cloud Security Engineer Blueprint video on YouTube (free), the Cloud Security Home Lab Guide, and the Cloud Security Hands-On Projects Guide.
Penetration Tester Skills Matrix — £5.00
The complete Ethical Hacker and Penetration Tester career roadmap in one spreadsheet. Every skill, tool, certification, and project mapped across 5 phases with timelines, costs, and free resources.
Covers: networking and Linux fundamentals, Python scripting, web application testing (OWASP Top 10, Burp Suite), Active Directory attacks (Kerberoasting, Pass-the-Hash, BloodHound), privilege escalation, lateral movement, Nmap, Metasploit, enumeration methodology, report writing, and hundreds of practice machines on TryHackMe and Hack The Box.
Certification path: Security+ → PNPT (Practical Network Penetration Tester) → OSCP (the gold standard, 24-hour exam). Includes OSCP reality footer with honest preparation expectations (300–500 hours). Timeline: 12–18 months. Total cost: £1,870–£2,270. The longest, most expensive, and most rewarding path in cybersecurity.
Includes salary trajectory from £45K entry to £120K+ senior, with a clear note that 50% of pentesting is writing reports and communicating findings to clients.
The hardest career path in cybersecurity. This matrix makes it achievable.
Pairs with the Ethical Hacker / Penetration Tester Blueprint video on YouTube (free).
DevSecOps Engineer Skills Matrix — £5.00
The complete DevSecOps career roadmap in one spreadsheet. Every skill, tool, certification, and project mapped across 5 phases with timelines, costs, and free resources.
Covers: CI/CD pipeline design (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI), SAST (Semgrep, SonarQube), DAST (OWASP ZAP), SCA (Dependency-Check, Snyk), secrets detection (GitLeaks, TruffleHog), container security (Docker, Trivy, Falco), IaC scanning (tfsec, Checkov), Kubernetes basics, threat modelling (STRIDE), Python scripting, and Terraform.
Certification path: Security+ → Certified DevSecOps Professional (CDP) or Practical DevSecOps certifications → AWS/Azure security specialisations. Timeline: 12–14 months. Total cost: £350–£1,000. Every scanning tool is free and open source.
Includes salary trajectory from £55K entry to £150K+ senior, unique "Tool" category mapping showing exactly when to learn each scanner, and job hunt strategy targeting engineering-forward companies and cloud-native teams.
The role that sits between developers, security, and operations. The highest demand and the least competition.
Pairs with the DevSecOps Engineer Blueprint video on YouTube (free) and the DevSecOps Home Lab Build Guide.
GRC Analyst Skills Matrix — £5.00
The complete Governance, Risk, and Compliance career roadmap in one spreadsheet. Every skill, framework, certification, and project mapped across 5 phases with timelines, costs, and free resources.
Covers: ISO 27001, NIST CSF, SOC 2, GDPR, PCI DSS, risk assessment, risk registers, gap analysis, policy writing, audit preparation, vendor risk management, security awareness training, and portfolio projects including a complete mock audit exercise.
Certification path: Security+ → ISO 27001 Lead Implementer or CISA → CRISC (senior). Timeline: 6–9 months. Total cost: £365–£1,200. No coding required.
Includes salary trajectory from £35K GRC Analyst to £120K+ Head of Compliance, with the fastest CISO track in cybersecurity (10–12 years vs 15–20 years through technical paths). Transferable skills mapping for career changers from teaching, law, finance, accounting, and project management.
The cybersecurity career nobody talks about that pays extremely well and requires zero technical background.
Pairs with the GRC Analyst Blueprint video on YouTube (free).
SOC Analyst Skills Matrix — £5.00
The complete Security Operations Centre career roadmap in one spreadsheet. Every skill, tool, certification, and project mapped across 5 phases with timelines, costs, and free resources.
Covers: SIEM operations (Wazuh, Splunk), log analysis, threat detection, incident response, Windows Event IDs, Sysmon, Wireshark, Nmap, Python scripting, MITRE ATT&CK mapping, and a complete home lab project with custom detection rules.
Certification path: Security+ → CySA+ (optional) → BTL1 or GCIA (employer-funded). Timeline: 6–9 months. Total cost: ~£400. The fastest and most affordable entry point into cybersecurity.
Includes salary trajectory from £25K SOC L1 to £80K+ SOC Manager, transferable skills mapping for career changers, and job hunt strategy targeting MSSPs and enterprise SOC teams.
The most common starting role in cybersecurity. This matrix shows you exactly how to get there.
Pairs with the SOC Analyst Blueprint video on YouTube (free) and the SOC Home Lab Build Guide.
No results match your search. Try removing a few filters.
