From Carburetors to Teslas | Why Devin Prasad Chose the CCSP First | Wake UP X Podcast

In this episode of the Wake UP X Podcast, host Efren Salazar sits down with cybersecurity professional Devin Prasad for a conversation about generational perspective, strategic thinking and what it really takes to pursue one of the hardest certifications in the industry.

Efren and Devin open up about what it means to be part of the generation that witnessed the full transformation of technology in real time. Not the generation before them that only knew the old way. Not the generation after them that inherited a world where everything just works. But the generation in between that saw every single step of the transition. Carburetor to fuel injection to Tesla. On-prem to cloud. Analog to fully digital.

That perspective is rare. And it shaped every career decision Devin has ever made.

Including his next certification move.

After earning his SSCP Devin planned to go straight for the CISSP. Then he visited the ISC2 website and saw something that stopped him cold.

The CISSP had hundreds of thousands of holders. It had been around for decades.

The CCSP, Certified Cloud Security Professional, had only been available for two years. And at the time fewer than 2000 people in the entire world had earned it.

Devin registered for the CCSP immediately.

🔹 Cloud was clearly the future of the industry.🔹 Almost no one had this certification yet.🔹 Getting in early meant positioning himself ahead of the curve before the crowd arrived.

But the CCSP was not going to be easy. It is not a technical practitioner exam. It is managerial and situational requiring strategic decision making at an executive level. And because cloud was still relatively new at the time the content was a hybrid of both worlds. Devin calls it the hardest test he ever took.

So he locked in.

🔹 1500 practice questions completed before exam day.🔹 YouTube videos and LinkedIn Learning resources studied thoroughly.🔹 Luke Ahmed's Think Like a Manager used as a core study resource.🔹 12 full weeks of aggressive focused preparation.🔹 ISC2 Peace of Mind voucher purchased giving him two attempts for an extra $200.

He went in prepared. He went in strategic. And he went in with a mindset built from years of watching the industry evolve from the very beginning.

🎙️ Host: Efren Salazar👤 Guest: Devin Prasad | Network Engineer & Cybersecurity Professional🎙️ Show: Wake UP X Podcast

🔗 Full Episode: https://www.wakeupxpodcast.com/the-full-career-story-nobody-tells-you-about-getting-into-itcyber-devin-prasad/

Episode Length: ~32 minutes