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Successful AI transformation starts with deeply understanding your organization’s most critical use cases. We recommend this practical guide from You.com that walks through a proven framework to identify, prioritize, and document high-value AI opportunities.
In this AI Use Case Discovery Guide, you’ll learn how to:
Map internal workflows and customer journeys to pinpoint where AI can drive measurable ROI
Ask the right questions when it comes to AI use cases
Align cross-functional teams and stakeholders for a unified, scalable approach
Let me start with something uncomfortable.
Most people in IT will never break past $80,000 a year.
Not because they aren’t smart.
Not because they don’t work hard.
And definitely not because they lack technical skills.
I’ve taught thousands of students.
I’ve worked in corporate IT for many years.
I’ve interviewed hundreds of professionals.
And I’ve coached people one-on-one.
And I can say this with confidence:
The $80K ceiling has almost nothing to do with skills.
The pattern I see again and again
Here’s what usually happens.
Someone learns Linux.
Then they add Windows.
Then cloud.
Then maybe security.
They collect certifications.
They watch more courses.
They keep “preparing.”
Five years later?
They’re still making $60K, $70K… maybe $80K.
And they’re frustrated.
They say things like:
“I know more than my coworkers.”
“I have more certs than my manager.”
“I just need one more skill.”
That’s the trap.
What I noticed in corporate IT
When I worked in corporate IT, something became very clear to me early on.
The highest-paid people in the room were not the smartest technically.
They weren’t memorizing commands.
They weren’t quoting documentation.
They were the ones who:
Took ownership
Spoke clearly
Solved problems end-to-end
Understood business impact
I’ve seen people with average technical skills get promoted faster than brilliant engineers.
Why?
Because companies don’t pay for knowledge.
They pay for responsibility.
Student mode vs corporate mode
Here’s the real reason most people never cross $80K.
They stay in student mode forever.
Student mode sounds like:
“Tell me exactly what to do.”
“I followed the lab.”
“That wasn’t in the documentation.”
“That’s not my responsibility.”
Corporate mode sounds very different:
“I’ll figure it out.”
“Here’s the impact if this fails.”
“Here’s what I recommend.”
“I already tested a solution.”
Most people never switch modes.
And salary follows mindset, not certifications.
The difference I see in my students
I see this clearly in my courses.
Some students ask thoughtful questions.
They think in scenarios.
They want to understand why.
Others only want:
The answer
The shortcut
To pass the exam
Guess which group grows faster in real jobs?
The ones asking:
“How would this work in production?”
Those are the people who break past $80K.
One mindset shift changes everything
There’s a quote by Henry Ford that fits perfectly here:
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t — you’re right.”
If you believe your job is just to complete tasks,
you’ll be paid like a task-doer.
If you believe your job is to:
Solve problems
Take ownership
Communicate impact
Improve systems
Your income changes.
Breaking past $80K usually requires one shift, not ten new skills.
From:
“I do what I’m told”
To:
“I own outcomes.”
Final thoughts
If you’re reading this, you’re already ahead.
Skills are the easy part.
Mindset is the differentiator.
Stop asking:
“Is this enough?”
Start asking:
“How can I add value here?”
That single question can change your career.
Your income won’t grow when your skill list grows.
It grows when your responsibility does.