Student Name
Alejandro Diaz
Course
Managing IT Projects
Semester
Fall 2025
Student Information
1. Project Title & Description
Project Title: Landing An Entry-Level IT Job
The goal is to secure an entry-level position in Information Technology by developing and demonstrating both technical and professional skills required in the field. To achieve this, I will get hands-on experience through online learning platforms, earn IT-specific certifications, and network.
2. Vision, Mission & Strategy Alignment
Personal Mission Connection
To demonstrate job-ready IT skills through hands-on learning, industry certifications, and a professional portfolio that proves capability to prospective employers.
Vision Alignment
A completed portfolio and certification set that positions me as a qualified candidate for entry-level cybersecurity or networking roles by graduation.
Strategic Goal Support
- Obtain industry-recognized certifications.
- Research entry-level IT job description for Alta Med and Altura.
- Get hands-on experience in cybersecurity and networking fundamentals.
- Attend weekly check-ins with job sponsors to continue building a professional network.
- Show portfolio to get feedback from industry professionals.
3. Business Case & Justification
Professional Value
This project will benefit my career by highlighting what I have learned during my studies. It will also enhance my portfolio with examples of projects and hands-on experience. Additionally, it will encourage me to apply for internships and volunteer more at work, church, and wherever I am able to gain experience.
Personal Value
This project will grant me personal satisfaction, skill development, and a structured way to deepen my learning while building a portfolio that helps ensure my job applications are taken seriously. I will strengthen fundamentals in networking, cybersecurity, and troubleshooting as a foundation for continued growth—serving as a stepping stone into the IT workforce.
Learning Outcomes
This project will teach me project management, industry knowledge, technical skills, and networking skills. Hands-on assignments—such as labs and online courses—will reinforce learning and retention. I will also build a professional portfolio and a lightweight website to showcase my skills, and expand my network through meetups (e.g., Eventbrite), campus guest speakers, and job fairs at Cal State LA.
4. High-Level Scope
In Scope
- Build digital portfolio
- Research objectives and strategize certification for CompTIA A+
- Complete Cisco's IT Support Specialist Path
- Complete Cisco's Network Technician Path
- Complete Cisco's Junior Cybersecurity Analyst Path
- Include knowledge of SQL, Python, and Oracle databases
- Build personal website to house digital portfolio
Roadmap Items
- Resume update linking digital portfolio
- Post completion badges to website
- Attempt certification in CompTIA A+
- Study for either CCNA, Network+, or Security+
- Apply for jobs
Out of Scope
- Build home lab
- Build portfolio website from scratch
- Learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
- Apply to jobs prematurely
- Spend money on certification exams too soon
5. Stakeholder Register
| Stakeholder | Category | Role/Interest | Power | Interest | Engagement Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myself & Wife | Internal | Provide resources, time, motivation, and accountability | High | High | Manage closely — weekly check-ins, milestone celebrations |
| Current Job | Internal | Potential to apply new skills and allocate study time | Medium | Medium | Keep satisfied — share graduation and certification plans |
| Professors / Mentors | External | Offer guidance, feedback, and career advice | Medium | Medium | Keep satisfied — periodic emails or meetings |
| Peer Learners / Study Groups | External | Collaborative learning and motivation | Low | Low | Monitor — participate in forums and group sessions |
| Certification Providers (CompTIA, Cisco, ISC²) | External | Validate knowledge with recognized credentials | High | High | Manage closely — follow exam requirements |
| Future Employers / Recruiters | External | Interested in portfolio, skills, and certifications | High | High | Manage closely — share updates via LinkedIn and networking |
| IT Communities / Local Meetups | External | Networking, knowledge exchange, mentorship | Medium | Medium | Keep informed — attend events and contribute |
| Regulatory Framework Bodies (e.g., NIST) | External | Provide cybersecurity standards and frameworks | Low | Low | Monitor — align learning with guidelines |
6. Deliverables & Definition of Done
| Deliverable Name | Type | SMART Description | Definition of Done | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Portfolio | Project Deliverable | Create and publish a personal GitHub portfolio site that is accessible, professional, and showcases coursework and certifications. | Reviewed by 2 peers confirming 10+ links work; loads < 3 seconds; responsive on mobile/desktop. | |
| Cisco Networking Academy Badges | Certification Deliverable | Complete Cisco Networking Academy’s Networking Technician, cybersecurity, and IT Support Specialist Path and earn the badges to demonstrate skills learned | Complete hands-on labs and document experience. | Completion badges from Cisco Networking Academy uploaded to portfolio. |
| Professional Certifications | Certification Deliverable | Pass ISC2 CC and CompTIA Security+ to validate cybersecurity knowledge and skills. | Both exams passed; certificates linked in GitHub portfolio. | |
| Industry Feedback Sessions | Validation Deliverable | Present portfolio and resume to 5 IT professionals and collect structured feedback by Dec 5, 2025. | Feedback from 5 professionals documented with actions; portfolio revised accordingly. | |
| Weekly meetup with network | Validation Deliverable | Meet with possible job sponsors for a weekly get-together and continue furthering our bond. | Simple document stating that I met up with possible job sponsors every week. Short summary of how the meeting with the network went. | |
| Entry-level Job Research | Research Deliverable | Research required skills, certs, and experience needed to get a job for Altura and Alta Med. | A summary of skills needed, recommended experience, and required experience is documented. Confirm skills learned are ideal for this job. |
Deliverable 1 — GitHub Portfolio (WBS)
| WBS ID | Level | Task/Work Package Name | Duration (days) | Dependencies | Parallel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deliverable | GitHub Portfolio | 24 | — | |
| 1.1 | Work Package | Structure GitHub webpage | 6 | — | |
| 1.1.1 | Task | Create GitHub page | 1 | — | 1.1.2 (1d) || 1.1.3 (3d) |
| 1.1.2 | Task | YouTube: how to make a portfolio | 1 | 1.1.1 | |
| 1.1.3 | Task | Use template or create landing page | 3 | 1.1.1 | |
| 1.1.4 | Task | Make webpage public | 2 | 1.1.1 | |
| 1.2 | Work Package | Professional profile picture | 1 | 1.1 | |
| 1.2.1 | Task | YouTube: place profile picture | 1 | — | 1.2.1 (1d) || 1.2.2 (1d) |
| 1.2.2 | Task | Upload profile picture | 1 | 1.1.1 | |
| 1.3 | Work Package | Site navigation & linking | 6 | 1.1 | |
| 1.3.1 | Task | YouTube: design functionality | 2 | — | |
| 1.3.2 | Task | Use ChatGPT as needed | 2 | 1.3.1 | |
| 1.3.3 | Task | Add working external links | 2 | 1.3.1 | |
| 1.4 | Work Package | Verification & polish | 11 | — | |
| 1.4.1 | Task | Verify accessibility (public) | 1 | 1.1.4 | |
| 1.4.2 | Task | Confirm links work | 3 | — | |
| 1.4.4 | Task | Ensure smooth navigation | 5 | 1.3.1 | |
| 1.3.4 | Task | Add LinkedIn profile | 2 | — |
Deliverable 2 — Cisco Networking Academy Badges (WBS)
| WBS ID | Level | Task/Work Package Name | Duration (days) | Dependencies | Parallel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Deliverable | NetAcad Badges (3 paths) | 36 | — | |
| 2.1 | Work Package | Enroll & setup | 3 | — | |
| 2.1.1 | Task | Confirm NetAcad account | 1 | — | |
| 2.1.2 | Task | Enroll: Networking Tech, Cybersecurity, IT Support | 2 | 2.1.1 | |
| 2.2 | Work Package | Networking Technician Path | 9 | 2.1 | |
| 2.2.1 | Task | Complete curriculum | 5 | 2.1.2 | |
| 2.2.2 | Task | Annotate hands-on labs | 2 | 2.2.1 | 2.2.1 (5d) || 2.2.2 (2d) |
| 2.2.3 | Task | Assessment + badge | 2 | 2.2.1 | |
| 2.3 | Work Package | Cybersecurity Analyst Path | 10 | 2.1 | |
| 2.3.1 | Task | Complete curriculum | 6 | 2.1.2 | |
| 2.3.2 | Task | Document hands-on labs | 2 | 2.3.1 | |
| 2.3.3 | Task | Assessment + badge | 2 | 2.3.1 | |
| 2.4 | Work Package | IT Support Specialist Path | 10 | 2.1 | |
| 2.4.1 | Task | Core modules (IT, OS, basics) | 6 | 2.1.2 | |
| 2.4.2 | Task | Labs + troubleshooting notes | 2 | 2.4.1 | |
| 2.4.3 | Task | Assessment + badge | 2 | 2.4.1 | |
| 2.5 | Work Package | Portfolio integration | 4 | 2.2–2.4 | |
| 2.5.1 | Task | Upload badges & evidence | 2 | 2.2.3,2.3.3,2.4.3 | |
| 2.5.2 | Task | Cross-link in resume/LinkedIn | 2 | 2.5.1 |
Deliverable 3 — Weekly Meetup with Network (WBS)
| WBS ID | Level | Task/Work Package Name | Duration (days) | Dependencies | Parallel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Deliverable | Weekly sponsor meetups | 28 | — | |
| 3.1 | Work Package | Plan cadence | 1 | — | |
| 3.1.1 | Task | Pick recurring day/time | 1 | — | |
| 3.2 | Work Package | Hold weekly meetings | 24 | 3.1 | |
| 3.2.1 | Task | Meetup & capture notes (weekly) | 24 | 3.1.1 | |
| 3.3 | Work Package | Documentation | 3 | 3.2 | |
| 3.3.1 | Task | Post weekly summary in portfolio | 3 | — |
Deliverable 4 — Professional Certifications(WBS)
| WBS ID | Level | Task/Work Package Name | Duration (days) | Dependencies | Parallel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Deliverable | ISC2 + Security+ | 56 | — | |
| 4.1 | Work Package | ISC2 CC | 10 | — | |
| 4.1.1 | Task | Sign up for ISC2 class/exam | 1 | — | |
| 4.1.2 | Task | Complete course | 5 | 4.1.1 | 4.1.2 (5d) || 4.1.3 (5d) |
| 4.1.3 | Task | Study for exam | 5 | 4.1.1 | |
| 4.1.4 | Task | Schedule ISC2 CC exam | 5 | — | |
| 4.2 | Work Package | Security+ | 6 | — | |
| 4.2.1 | Task | Cengage study book | 5 | — | 4.2.1 (5d) || 4.2.2 (5d) || 4.2.3 (5d) |
| 4.2.2 | Task | LabEX.io practice | 5 | 4.2.1 | |
| 4.2.3 | Task | Study & save for exam | 5 | 4.2.1 | |
| 4.2.4 | Task | Schedule Security+ exam | 1 | 4.2.3 | |
| 4.3 | Work Package | Showcase certificates | 6 | — | |
| 4.3.1 | Task | Link Security+ certificate | 1 | 4.2.4 | |
| 4.3.2 | Task | Create banner URL (Security+) | 1 | 4.2.4 | |
| 4.3.3 | Task | Link ISC2 CC certificate | 1 | 4.1.4 | |
| 4.3.4 | Task | Create banner URL (ISC2 CC) | 1 | 4.1.4 | |
| 4.3.5 | Task | Upload to portfolio | 2 | 1.1.1 | |
| 4.4.2 | Work Package | Update resume | 4 | — |
Deliverable 5 — Entry-Level Job Research (WBS)
| WBS ID | Level | Task/Work Package Name | Duration (days) | Dependencies | Parallel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Deliverable | Target role research | 10 | — | |
| 5.1 | Work Package | Collect job data | 3 | — | |
| 5.1.1 | Task | Find postings (Altura, AltaMed) | 2 | — | |
| 6.1.2 | Task | Extract skills/certs/experience | 1 | 5.1.1 | |
| 5.2 | Work Package | Analyze & compare | 4 | 5.1 | |
| 5.2.1 | Task | Map to current plan | 2 | 5.1.2 | |
| 5.2.2 | Task | Identify gaps + priorities | 2 | 5.2.1 | |
| 5.3 | Work Package | Deliver summary | 3 | 5.2 | |
| 5.3.1 | Task | Write research brief | 2 | 5.2.2 | |
| 5.3.2 | Task | Update learning roadmap | 1 | 5.3.1 |
7. Budget (estimated)
| Category | Item / Description | Qty | Unit Cost ($) | Subtotal ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor | Developer | 30 | $100.00 | $3,000.00 | Develop GitHub page |
| Labor | Designer | 0 | $85.00 | $0.00 | |
| Labor | Project Manager | 5 | $120.00 | $600.00 | I will be project manager |
| Labor | Tester | 3 | $75.00 | $225.00 | Get peers to review my GitHub |
| Labor | Business Analyst | 0 | $95.00 | $0.00 | |
| Labor | Other Role | 0 | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| LABOR SUBTOTAL | $3,825.00 | total cost of labor | |||
| Equipment/Software | Software Licenses | 1 | $229.99 | $229.99 | Cengage Unlimited: Subscription for Students – Cengage |
| Equipment/Software | Development Tools | 0 | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Equipment/Software | Testing Environment | 0 | $0.00 | $0.00 | Servers or cloud instances |
| Equipment/Software | Database Software | 0 | $0.00 | $0.00 | If needed for project |
| Equipment/Software | Other Equipment | 2 | $44.99 | $89.98 | Buying additional RAM for laptop — NVTEK 16GB (2X8GB) DDR4 3200MHZ PC4-25600 SODIMM 2Rx8 1.2V CL22 260-PIN Non-ECC Laptop PC Computer Memory KIT at Amazon.com |
| EQUIPMENT/SOFTWARE SUBTOTAL | $319.97 | ||||
| Materials | Stock Images/Media | 0 | $0.00 | $0.00 | Graphics and multimedia |
| Materials | Training Materials | 1 | $229.99 | $229.99 | Cengage |
| Materials | Documentation Assets | 1 | $25.00 | $25.00 | For borrowed templates on GitHub |
| Materials | Other Materials | 2 | $50.00 | $100.00 | live study groups and seminars |
| Materials | Other Materials | 2 | $50.00 | $100.00 | Price of certification exams |
| MATERIALS SUBTOTAL | $454.99 | ||||
| Services | Cloud Hosting | 1 | $0.10 | $0.10 | AWS and Azure for AI learning |
| Services | Third-party APIs | 0 | $0.00 | $0.00 | Payment processing etc. |
| Services | Consulting Services | 5 | $25.00 | $125.00 | External expertise |
| Services | Security Audit | 0 | $0.00 | $0.00 | Security assessments |
| Services | Other Services | 2 | $20.00 | $40.00 | Consulting on Portfolio |
| SERVICES SUBTOTAL | $165.10 | ||||
| SUBTOTAL DIRECT COSTS | Sum of all categories | $4,765.06 | |||
| Contingency Reserve (%) | 20% | $953.01 | Adjust percentage as needed | ||
| TOTAL PROJECT BUDGET | Final budget amount | $5,718.07 |
| Category | % of Total |
|---|---|
| Labor | 66.89% |
| Equipment/Software | 5.60% |
| Materials | 7.96% |
| Services | 2.89% |
| Contingency | 16.67% |
| Total Percentage | 100.00% |
Percentages rounded to two decimals; totals may differ by ±0.01% due to rounding.
8. Project Methodology — Explanation
Predictive will be the methodology I choose to complete my project.
- All requirements were gathered at the beginning of the planning phase. While one more option was added, nothing will be deleted or forgotten.
- I will be able to establish a timeline for when I should complete certain deliverables, but feedback won’t be truly needed until the very end (of the semester).
- There is no need for iterations or constant changes to the goals I have already established.
- The main goal of the project is to get a job; the last deliverable will be a completed portfolio to showcase to employers and an updated resume.
9. Project Methodology Diagram
10. Project Tool Selection
Primary Tool & Rationale
The three project management tools I chose to explore are Smartsheet, Asana, and Monday.com; the one I really enjoyed using—and will continue to use—is Monday.com. That was, coincidentally, a management tool a lot of the interviewees I spoke to talked about using. I can see why Monday would be a good project management tool to use, not just for predictive, but also for hybrid and agile.
I look forward to getting as familiar as possible with this project. This one was more intuitive to use and had an easy upload option for files I already have saved to my computer. It is free to use, beginner-friendly, and very intuitive in adding new views and dashboards to configure it to your liking. The one that sold me was the mobile option that Asana and Smartsheet didn’t allow, not to mention Smartsheet only allowed me to use whatever the “organization” had previously created. This was one of the key reasons why I also stayed away from Smartsheet, and Asana was a little too plain for my liking.
11. Screenshots — Project Tool in Use
