From what I've seen, many companies and interviewers tend to value hands-on, real-world experience more than certifications. For someone without direct experience working on an IAM platform, do you think earning certifications in tools like Okta(& others) can significantly improve their chances of landing IAM opportunities? I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

Someone asked in one of our weekly calls what an IAM person actually does at a company day to day. I made a video answering that question. It covers why company size changes everything about your first year, what the honest day to day tasks look like. If you are trying to figure out whether IAM is the right move for you or what to expect when you get there, this one is worth 8 minutes. There might be many other facets to your first year activities. Also this is not for someone who might already be in IAM for few years, it’s to help someone who’s making a pivot into IAM. NOTE: this video focuses on analyst and engineer entry roles. If you are targeting an IAM architect, product owner, or business analyst role, the day to day activities look quite different. Drop a comment on the video or here if your experience or expectations are different. Would love to hear what others have seen in their first year.

Most people learn IAM and then go looking for jobs. Sometimes, this is a good approach if you are set on the job profile you want to get in to. From my experience, I'd suggest doing it the other way around. Start with the job descriptions in your area (location). Pick 5 to 10 IAM roles - analyst, engineer, administrator, whatever matches your target and read them carefully. Do not apply yet. Just read. You are looking for patterns: ➡️Which tools appear in 80% of the listings? That is your primary lab target. ➡️Which concepts come up repeatedly? JML, RBAC, SAML, OIDC, PAM, access certification - note them all. ➡️Which certifications are mentioned most? Note them but do not chase them yet. ✅Now you have a personalised plan to follow. ✅Not a generic IAM course. ✅Not someone else's roadmap. ✅Exactly what employers in your city are paying for right now. Then Build in this order: 1. Core concepts first - JML lifecycle, RBAC, authentication protocols. No tool, just the mental model. 2. Pick the tool that appears most in your job descriptions and build a lab around it. 3. Add the certification that comes up most - after you understand the concepts, not before. 4. Put the lab on your resume. Be ready to screen share it in an interview. 👉Try it now: Go to LinkedIn or most known job portal, search IAM analyst or IAM engineer in your city, open 5 job descriptions, and drop the most common requirement you see in the comments below. Let's map what the market actually wants in your area, that might be helpful for people in this community. 👇

This community is for anyone looking to build real Identity and Access Management (IAM) skills for FREE. Whether you are new to IAM, you are already in IT, or you would want to enrich your IAM skills, your IAM journey starts here. No dry theory. No vendor pitches. Just real-world skills Our goal is simple: to give you the exact hands-on experience needed to land or grow in an IAM role. To get started, execute these steps: 1️⃣ Start by interacting with existing posts and discussions that might already answer your questions. Reach Level 2 to unlock posting - it only takes 6 points (6 likes) by commenting, and engaging with others. 2️⃣ Learn the Core IAM Concepts first. With real-world analogies. 3️⃣ Hands-On Lab 1: CIAM Lab - implement SSO protocols with detailed steps. 4️⃣ Hands-On Lab 2: Full IGA Lab - build core JML workflows with HR source and LDAP target. 5️⃣ Next Steps and IAM Career Roadmap - 90-day actionable plan to extend your IAM skills further. 6️⃣ Visit the Calendar Tab - add the weekly IAM call to your schedule. 7️⃣ Check this post on how to reverse engineer your IAM job search. How this community works: ✅ Post your lab problems under Lab Help ✅ If you are ahead in the learning curve, help others ✅ No vendor pitches ✅ Comment and interact to reach next levels Keep an eye on the leaderboard. Future free classrooms unlock at higher levels. You level up by actively participating, posting progress, and helping others. 🚀