Career Path
Beginner IT Career Guide
A practical starting point for breaking into IT — roles to target, skills to build first, and how to avoid common dead ends.
Career growth platform · Rhode Island
Forge the next version of yourself.
Forge13 helps people break into tech, grow their careers, increase income, and build a future they were never handed.
Lives changed50+
Certs forged by founder11
Rhode Island — state #1313
Built for real upward mobility
Forge13 exists for people who weren't handed a clear path — career changers, self-taught learners, and driven professionals ready to build something better. We focus on discipline, skill, mentorship, and measurable growth. No hype. No shortcuts. Just the work that creates opportunity.
DisciplineSkillMentorshipGrowth
Founder story
Built without a blueprint.Forged anyway.
Rhode Island-based engineer, Year Up graduate, and mentor who built a senior cloud career without a traditional degree — now helping others forge their own path.
Year Up11 CertificationsSenior Cloud EngineerRhode Island
Read Dante Cady's full story
Dante Cady
Founder, Forge13
“Opportunity isn't always given — it's forged through discipline, skill-building, and the right guidance.”
The process
How Forge13 works
A structured approach to building the career you want — one disciplined step at a time.
1
Find your path
Identify the role, industry, and trajectory that fits your strengths and goals — not someone else's template.
2
Build your skills
Focus on certifications, projects, and hands-on learning that employers actually value.
3
Strengthen your story
Craft a resume, LinkedIn profile, and interview narrative that reflects your real experience and potential.
4
Create opportunity
Apply strategically, network with intention, and position yourself for roles that move your career forward.
5
Track your growth
Measure progress through outcomes — interviews, offers, promotions, certifications, and income growth.
1
Find your path
Identify the role, industry, and trajectory that fits your strengths and goals — not someone else's template.
2
Build your skills
Focus on certifications, projects, and hands-on learning that employers actually value.
3
Strengthen your story
Craft a resume, LinkedIn profile, and interview narrative that reflects your real experience and potential.
4
Create opportunity
Apply strategically, network with intention, and position yourself for roles that move your career forward.
5
Track your growth
Measure progress through outcomes — interviews, offers, promotions, certifications, and income growth.
Free tools
Featured resources
Practical guides and checklists to move your career forward.
Resume Checklist
Step-by-step checklist to strengthen your resume for tech roles, especially if you're self-taught or changing careers.
Job Search
Interview Prep Guide
Framework for preparing technical and behavioral interviews with confidence — including how to tell your story.
Job Search
Cloud Career Roadmap
A structured path from cloud fundamentals to platform engineering roles, with skills and certs mapped to each stage.
Cloud
Community
Success stories
Real outcomes from people who put in the work.
Job landed
“I had the drive but no clear roadmap. Forge13 helped me focus on the right certs and projects. Six months later, I landed my first cloud role.”
Salary increase
“My resume wasn't getting callbacks. After restructuring it with Forge13's guidance, I started getting interviews within two weeks.”
Priya S. · Help Desk Technician
Certification achieved
“I earned my Azure Administrator certification while working full time. Having someone hold me accountable made the difference.”
James R. · Career changer
Take the next step
Ready to forge your path?
Whether you're breaking into tech or pushing for your next level, Forge13 gives you the structure, resources, and mentorship to make real progress.