Certification Roadmap
Shows completed, in-progress and planned certs with why each comes next.
I started with MS-900, SC-900 and A+ for helpdesk fundamentals, then earned my CCNA for the networking core and Security+ for the security baseline. Currently in progress on Fortinet NSE 4 for firewall depth on FortiOS. Then AZ-104 for the Azure admin foundation, NSE 5/6 on the path to Fortinet NSE 7, and AZ-700 for Azure networking depth. Juniper JNCIS-ENT adds a second routing/switching platform, and AZ-305 rounds out the Azure track.
TRACK — 14 CERTS● completed ◐ in-progress ○ planned
| STATUS | CERT | WHY THIS NEXT | DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| ● completed | Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals ms-900 | M365 basics — helpdesk starting point | 2023-03 |
| ● completed | Microsoft Certified: Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals sc-900 | Security and identity fundamentals | 2023-04 |
| ● completed | CompTIA A+ comptia-a | Hardware and OS breadth | 2025-06 |
| ● completed | CCNA 200-301 ccna | Core routing, switching, and automation | 2026-09 |
| ● completed | CompTIA: Security+ comptia-sec+ | Security fundamentals baseline | 2026-10 |
| ◐ in-progress | Fortinet NSE 4: FortiOS Administrator ftn-nse4 | Leverages existing production FortiGate experience | Nov 2026 |
| ○ planned | Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate az-104 | Cloud/Azure admin foundation; required for AZ-305 | Q1–Q2 2027 |
| ○ planned | Fortinet NSE 5/6: Secure Networking track ftn-nse5-q6 | Required to reach NSE 7 under the 2026 program (NSE 4 + NSE 5/6) | Q2–Q3 2027 |
| ○ planned | Microsoft Certified: Azure Network Engineer Associate az-700 | Azure networking depth — VNets, gateways, NSGs | Q4 2027–Q1 2028 |
| ○ planned | Fortinet NSE 7: Secure Networking Architect ftn-nse7 | Deep FortiGate enterprise firewall design and deployment | Q1–Q2 2028 |
| ○ planned | Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert az-305 | Azure infrastructure design depth — completes the Azure track; requires AZ-104 | Q2–Q3 2028 |
| ○ planned | AWS Certified: Solutions Architect Associate aws-saa | Core AWS breadth — low-effort add on Cloud Practitioner coursework; foundation for EHR work and Security Specialty | Q3-Q4 2028 (optional) |
| ○ planned | AWS Certified: Security - Specialty aws-sce | AWS security depth for HIPAA/EHR workloads — complements Security+ and AZ-305 | Q4 2028-Q1 2029 (optional) |
| ○ planned | Juniper: Enterprise Routing and Switching, Specialist jncis-ent | Second routing/switching platform for vendor breadth | 2028 (optional) |
Data source: data/certs.yaml — edit to update timeline without touching templates.