How to Build an IT Career from the Ground Up with Kevin Apolinario (KevTech)

In this episode of the PowerShell Podcast, we welcome Kevin of KevTech IT Support, a well-known mentor and educator in the IT community. With a background in fast food and law enforcement, Kevin shares his inspiring journey into IT and how he leveraged mentorship, home labs, and community engagement to build a thriving career. We dive into help desk fundamentals, breaking into IT, career development, and Kevin helps give you a map to career success.Key topics in this episode include:

• Kevin’s journey from fast food and law enforcement to IT – How he transitioned careers and found success.
• The power of mentorship and community support – Why helping others accelerates your own growth.
• How to break into IT without a traditional background – The role of home labs, self-study, and networking.
• Building an IT career with practical skills – Why Active Directory, Office 365, and PowerShell are crucial.
• The importance of communication and customer service in IT – Why soft skills can be just as valuable as technical knowledge.
• How to stand out in job interviews and secure promotions – The value of documenting progress and advocating for yourself.

Kevin also shares insights into KevTech Academy, his mentorship program, and why building a personal brand through blogging and LinkedIn can help IT professionals land jobs faster.   Bio and Links: Kevin Apolinario is an IT career coach and trainer dedicated to helping others break into tech. With experience in MSPs, Apple, education, hedge funds, and 12 years in the restaurant industry, he provides hands-on IT training through Jobskillshare and has trained students globally with Techskills Institute. He speaks at conferences and also runs a YouTube channel with nearly 100,000 subscribers, offering practical guidance on IT careers and technical skills.

• Follow Kevin on YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram (@KevTechITSupport)
• Check out KevTech Academy at https://kevtechitsupport.com
• Join PowerShell Wednesdays every Wednesday at 2 PM EST in the PDQ Discord http://discord.gg/pdq
• The PowerShell Podcast: https://pdq.com/the-powershell-podcast
• The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/RrNyh6EuD_Q