I'm posting this because I'm genuinely looking for some outside perspective. I've been trying to break into IT/Cybersecurity for over a year now, and at this point I honestly don't understand what I'm doing wrong.

I graduated with a B.S. in Enterprise Technology Integration in May 2025. Since then, I've applied to 600+ jobs through LinkedIn, Indeed, ZipRecruiter, etc., plus probably 150+ applications directly through company career sites. So roughly 750+ applications total.

I've gotten around 10 rounds of interviews for 3-4 different roles in IT. I interviewed with a well-known airline company 3-4 months ago for a Cyber Threat Intellgience internship. It was a total of 4 rounds but I ended up not getting the role since I messed up a behavioral question. The other roles that I have been seriously considered for was a Cybersecurity Analyst position through a staffing company working for an energy company. This was over a year ago and I didn't get the role because they went with someone with more experience. I also interviewed with a Fortune 500 Chemical Engineering company. This interview in particular I nailed, I got every technical question and behavioral question down perfectly. I thought there was no way I wasn't going to get an offer. The recruiter for the role even emailed me and mentioned how much the team liked me. Well I didn't the role. They said they chose someone with more experience. This was around 3 months ago. I have gotten interview for a non-IT role (Digital Implementation Specialist at a Consulting Company) and the initial call went great (so I thought) but they moved on with other applicants. Since then I haven't gotten any interviews. I have started keeping an excel spreadsheet of roles I applied to. Almost all of the roles I applied to on their company site. Around 90% of those applications I have never heard back and the other 10% I have gotten rejected without even getting an introduction interview.

Most of those interviews came from LinkedIn/Indeed. I've gotten essentially nothing from applying directly through company websites.

I'm not applying exclusively to huge companies or FAANG-type positions either. I've applied to small and midsize companies, MSPs, healthcare organizations, financial companies, nonprofits, internal IT departments, etc. A lot of the companies I've applied to are companies I had never even heard of before.

I'm primarily targeting:

• Help Desk / IT Support
• Desktop Support
• IT Support Technician
• IT Analyst
• NOC / Network Technician
• Junior Infrastructure
• SOC Analyst
• Entry-level cybersecurity

I'm completely willing to start at help desk or desktop support and work my way up. I'm not expecting to graduate and immediately become a cybersecurity engineer.

My background

I have a Bachelors of Science Degree in Enterprise Technology Integration with a focus on IT and Cybersecurity. I recently graduated in May 2025.

I had a cybersecurity/IT administration internship from May 2024 through August 2025 at a small company. Unfortunately, the company didn't have a full-time position available for me after the internship.

I also worked as a coding instructor at a youth coding education center. That involved a lot of face-to-face technical support, troubleshooting software/computer issues, explaining technical concepts to people with different levels of technical knowledge, and customer service.

I also worked as a shift supervisor throughout college, so I have a pretty significant amount of customer-service experience and experience dealing with problems and competing priorities under pressure.

Certifications / continued learning

I earned CompTIA Security+ in November 2025.

I'm currently studying for the Cisco CCNA, with the exam scheduled for this month.

Since I haven't been able to get another IT job after my internship, I've also been trying to keep building my technical skills on my own.

I've built an enterprise IT infrastructure/security lab. Further details about it can be found in my resume at the bottom

I know a home lab isn't the same thing as professional experience. I'm not trying to pretend that it is. I'm just trying to show that I've continued learning and working with these technologies instead of letting my skills sit still.

I've also tried networking

I've also tried getting around the normal application process.

I have family members and personal connections working in technology at several large companies, and I've had referrals/connections help get my resume in front of people for roles. One of my family members is a senior fellow at Cisco, another is an architecture engineer at AMD, and one is a senior director at ServiceNow. Even with referrals from them, I haven't even gotten interviews at their companies.

I've also contacted recruiters, hiring managers, and employees through LinkedIn.

Even with referrals/connections, I haven't been able to turn that into a job.

I'm not expecting someone to hand me a job because I know somebody. I'm mentioning it because I've tried networking in addition to submitting applications into the normal ATS black hole.

What I don't understand

This is the part I'm struggling with.

I understand that the entry-level IT market is competitive. I understand that a degree doesn't automatically qualify someone for a job. I understand that certifications don't replace experience.

But I've been applying for over a year.

I have:

• A relevant bachelor's degree
• A ~16-month IT/cybersecurity internship
• Security+
• CCNA in progress
• Windows/Linux experience
• Active Directory/Entra ID experience
• Networking experience
• Hardware/software troubleshooting experience
• Senior leadership support experience
• Customer service experience
• An enterprise infrastructure/security lab
• Continued technical self-study
• Hundreds of applications
• Networking/referrals

And I'm still struggling to get interviews for jobs that are supposed to be entry-level.

At this point, I'm wondering if I'm missing something obvious.

Is my resume the problem?

Am I targeting the wrong jobs?

Is my internship experience weaker than I think it is?

Am I presenting myself incorrectly?

Is the post-graduation gap becoming a problem?

Am I applying too broadly?

Is there something about my background that is making recruiters reject me before an interview?

Or is the entry-level IT market genuinely this bad right now?

I'm not looking for someone to just tell me "keep applying." I've been doing that for over a year.

I'm attaching an anonymized version of my resume. Please be honest. If you think my resume sucks, my experience isn't competitive, I'm applying to the wrong positions, my certifications aren't helping, my lab isn't valuable, or my application strategy is flawed, I genuinely want to hear it.

I'd rather find out what I'm doing wrong now than send another 500 applications and be in the exact same position six months from now.

What would you change if you were in my position?

RESUME:

Here is my resume, I removed any personal/company information. I can't add a pdf to this post so I will just paste the resume. (Could the PDF not be passing ATS?)

Note: I have tailored my resume for most of the roles where I think I really have a chance. So if the role is cybersecurity, I will word the resume with language the matches the JD, same with different IT roles. This resume version is focused more on IT.

NAME

ADDRESS • PHONE • EMAIL • LINKEDIN_URL

SUMMARY

IT professional and Enterprise Technology Integration graduate with hands-on experience supporting Windows/Linux systems, hardware, software, users, and enterprise networks. Experienced troubleshooting workstation, operating system, application, and network connectivity issues, supporting Microsoft 365 and identity systems, and assisting users with technical issues. CompTIA Security+ certified and currently preparing for the Cisco CCNA.

EDUCATION

B.S. Enterprise Technology Integration – May 2025

State University | Major GPA: 3.5 | Dean's List: SP/FA 2024, SP 2025

CERTIFICATIONS

CompTIA Security+ | CompTIA – November 2025

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) | In Progress – Exam Scheduled September 2026

TECHNICAL SKILLS

IT & Technical Support: Windows 10/11, Windows Server, macOS, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Office, Active Directory, Microsoft Entra ID, Hardware & Software Troubleshooting, PC Setup & Configuration, User Support, Technical Documentation

Networking: TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, Wi-Fi, VLANs, LAN/WAN, Routing & Switching, VPN Fundamentals, Network Troubleshooting, Ubiquiti, Wireshark

Systems & Administration: VMware, VirtualBox, PowerShell, Python, Bash, SFTP/SSH

Security: Wazuh SIEM, Windows Event Logs, Security Event Monitoring, Firewall Administration, IAM, RBAC, SSO, MFA, Nmap

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Cybersecurity & IT Administration Intern – LOGISTICS COMPANY May 2024 – August 2025

• Supported Windows/Linux systems and enterprise IT infrastructure, troubleshooting hardware, software, operating system, and network connectivity issues for distributed teams.
• Supported Microsoft Entra ID application onboarding, access provisioning, SSO configuration, and identity documentation for enterprise applications.
• Audited external applications and access configurations within Microsoft Entra ID to support secure application access and identity management.
• Provided hands-on technical support to users and senior leadership, including setting up monitors and configuring Mac-to-monitor display solutions.
• Deployed and configured redundant Ubiquiti UDM-Pro firewalls, supporting enterprise network security, connectivity, and resiliency.
• Automated secure data backup and transfer processes using SFTP/SSH, supporting data integrity and system recovery requirements.

Code Instructor – CODING EDUCATION CENTER May 2023 – May 2024

• Provided face-to-face technical support and troubleshooting assistance to users with varying levels of technical experience, diagnosing software and computer-related issues and guiding users through solutions.
• Explained technical concepts clearly to nontechnical users while maintaining a patient, professional, and customer-focused approach.
• Built strong relationships with students and parents through clear communication, problem solving, and responsive customer service.

Shift Supervisor – RESTAURANT January 2022 – May 2025

• Supervised restaurant operations in a high-volume environment, prioritizing operational issues, resolving customer concerns, training employees, and maintaining service quality during peak periods.
• Coordinated multiple operational priorities under tight deadlines while communicating effectively with employees, managers, and customers.

PROJECT EXPERIENCE

Independent Enterprise IT Infrastructure and Security Lab – Self-Directed April 2026 – Present | GITHUB LINK HERE

• Built and administered a simulated enterprise environment using Windows Server, Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and Group Policy.
• Configured Windows and Linux virtual machines in VMware and performed system, software, network, and user-access troubleshooting.
• Used PowerShell and Python to automate administrative tasks and system reporting.
• Deployed Wazuh SIEM to monitor Windows endpoints, analyze security events, and investigate simulated attacks using Windows Event Logs and MITRE ATT&CK techniques.
• Used Metasploit and Nmap to simulate attacks and analyze Wazuh alerts and Windows security events to identify malicious activity and document findings.
• Configured and tested enterprise networking services including DNS, DHCP, TCP/IP, and VLANs in a virtualized environment

IT Networking Infrastructure Lab – Team Lead January – May 2024

• Deployed and administered Windows and Linux virtual machines using VMware to simulate an enterprise infrastructure environment.
• Configured Windows Server services including Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and Group Policy.
• Analyzed network traffic using Wireshark to diagnose network communication and connectivity issues.