Skip the Cert.
$200K+ to $800K+ AI Roles · Live Workshop · Not Recorded

Land the $200K+ to $800K+ AI offer. Skip the Cert.

Skip the Cert is a live 90-minute workshop on the full path to the offer — what to learn, how to learn it, and how to convert that into an interview and a job. Technical, focused, and scoped to what hiring managers actually care about — not the theory dumps a $3,000+ grad-school certificate program drowns you in. Three workshops for three audiences: breaking into software with no prior experience, new grads aiming at $200K+ AI roles, and experienced engineers targeting $800K+ AI offers.

See upcoming workshops 1:1 coaching · attendees only · $100/hr

Schedule: Every weekday · pick your time at booking · 90 min · live · not recorded · 15 seats per cohort

Free · 15 pages

Not ready to enroll yet? Start with the toolkit.

Get The Skip the Cert AI Career Toolkit — picking your AI lane, the 90-day curriculum that gets you interviewable, and the portfolio piece reviewers actually want to see. No fluff, no theory dumps.

  • Which of the 5 AI lanes fits your background — and which to skip
  • Week-by-week 90-day curriculum + curated reading list
  • The "one impressive thing" portfolio piece that lands interviews

    Double opt-in · no spam · unsubscribe anytime

    About Skip the Cert

    Skip the Cert is a live workshop on the full path to the offer: what to actually learn, how to learn it efficiently, and how to convert that into an interview and a job. Technical, hands-on, and scoped to what hiring managers care about — not theory sprawl, not pure interview gymnastics. Taught by an instructor with 10+ years of software experience and hands-on AI work at both early-stage startups and Big Tech.

    Online grad-school certificate programs can run $3,000+ and focus on theory — the math, the models, the papers — without ever telling you what's actually worth your time, how to study it on a real-world timeline, or how to turn it into an offer. Skip the Cert cuts the fluff and covers all three: the curriculum that matters for the role you're targeting, a learning plan that fits a working person's life, and the positioning and interview craft that close offers. Sessions are 90-minute live workshops on Zoom — small cohorts, hands-on, and not recorded. You show up, do the work, and leave with a written plan you can apply this week. Want deeper one-on-one work afterward? Workshop attendees can book a 1:1 follow-up at $100/hr — the booking link is sent in your post-purchase confirmation email.

    10+
    Years in software
    2x
    Startup & Big Tech AI experience

    Upcoming workshops

    90-minute live workshops on Zoom — small cohort, hands-on, and not recorded. Each seat includes the live session, a workbook, a curated reading list scoped only to what you need to land the job (no theory dumps), a follow-up Q&A thread, and access to 1:1 coaching at $100/hr (attendees only — booking link sent in your confirmation email).

    Every weekday · pick your slot · 90-min workshop · not recorded

    Breaking Into Software (No Prior Experience)

    For career switchers and self-taught beginners with no software background — bootcamp grads, people pivoting from other fields, or anyone starting from zero.

    • A realistic timeline — what it actually takes, separated from the bootcamp marketing version.
    • The portfolio shape that gets a junior interview without a CS degree.
    • Resume framing when you don't have prior software titles to point to.
    • Which junior roles to target first — and which job listings are a waste of your time.
    • Junior interviews: what's tested, what's forgivable, and how to recover from a bad question.
    • Curated reading list — only what you need to land your first software job. No "learn X in 21 days" busywork.
    • Live Q&A and a written 6–12 month roadmap you walk away with.
    $1,000 USD · 15 seats
    Reserve a seat
    Every weekday · pick your slot · 90-min workshop · not recorded

    New Grad → AI Roles ($200K+ Track)

    For final-year students and recent grads aiming at senior-leveled AI offers.

    • How AI roles are structured today (research, applied, product, ML infra) and which fit your background.
    • What to actually study before applying — the topics that move the needle for $200K+ AI offers vs. the math and papers grad schools push but hiring managers don't care about.
    • The portfolio shape that actually reads as $200K+ signal to senior hiring managers.
    • Resume + positioning rewrite framework — applied live to your own draft.
    • Interview pacing: coding, ML fundamentals, and behavioral, in the order you'll actually face them.
    • Curated reading list — only what you actually need to land an AI job. No theory dumps, no math primers.
    • Live Q&A and a written plan you walk away with.
    $1,000 USD · 15 seats
    Reserve a seat
    Every weekday · pick your slot · 90-min workshop · not recorded

    Switching Into AI ($800K+ Track)

    For working software / data / adjacent engineers (senior IC and above) targeting staff/principal AI roles at $800K+ total comp.

    • Translating your existing seniority into AI-relevant signal — without faking what you don't know.
    • The portfolio shape that reads as $800K+ signal to senior AI hiring managers — not "switcher with a side project" but "senior IC with AI competence."
    • The shortest credible path: the projects, papers, and OSS contributions worth your time (and the ones that aren't).
    • Targeting: applied AI, ML platform, AI product engineering — picking the lane your background actually fits, and the comp band you can credibly hit (frontier labs vs. Big Tech AI vs. AI startups with rich equity).
    • Interview prep tailored to senior switchers: what's tested, what's forgiven, and how to handle "have you done this before?"
    • Curated reading list — exactly what's worth reading to make the switch credibly. Scoped to landing a senior AI role, not earning a PhD.
    • Live Q&A and a written 90-day switch plan.
    $1,000 USD · 15 seats
    Reserve a seat

    1:1 follow-up · for workshop attendees · $100/hr

    The workshop gives you the framework. The 1:1 is where we apply it to your resume, your projects, and your upcoming interviews. Sessions are 60 minutes, billed at $100/hr.

    1:1 sessions are exclusively for Skip the Cert workshop attendees. Your private booking link arrives in the confirmation email after you reserve a workshop seat — it's not available publicly. This is intentional: the 1:1 is a follow-up to the workshop, not a substitute for it.

    Already attended a workshop and need the link again? Email hello@skipthecert.com.

    See upcoming workshops

    Frequently asked questions

    Who teaches the seminars? Why isn't the instructor named?
    Skip the Cert is run by an instructor with 10+ years of software experience and hands-on AI work at both early-stage startups and Big Tech. The public site is intentionally taught under the brand rather than under a personal name — the seminars are about whether the frameworks work for you, not about the brand on the byline. Full bio and verifiable credentials are shared privately with enrolled attendees.
    Is the "Breaking Into Software" seminar realistic for someone with zero experience?
    Realistic, yes — fast, no. The seminar gives you an honest timeline (typically 6–12 months of focused work), a portfolio plan, and a junior-job interview prep framework. We do not promote bootcamp-style "land a job in 90 days" claims. If that's what you're looking for, this is the wrong seminar.
    What do I get when I reserve a seat?
    A seat in a 90-minute live Zoom workshop, a workbook, a curated reading list scoped only to what you need to land the job (no theory dumps), and access to a follow-up Q&A thread. Workshops are live-only and not recorded, so plan to attend. After purchase you'll receive a Stripe receipt; the Zoom link, workbook, and reading list arrive by email before the session.
    How long is each seminar?
    90 minutes, live on Zoom. The session includes structured material, worked examples, and live Q&A. If you want deeper personalized work afterward, attendees can book a 1:1 follow-up at $100/hr — booking link in your post-purchase confirmation email.
    Will I get a $200K+ or $800K+ AI job from this?
    No seminar — including this one — can promise you a job or a specific salary. The "$200K+" and "$800K+" framings describe the audiences each workshop is built for: $200K+ for new graduates targeting senior-leveled AI offers, $800K+ for experienced engineers (senior IC and above) targeting staff/principal AI roles at frontier labs or top AI startups. These are audience targets, not promised outcomes. What you actually get is a curriculum scoped to the role you're targeting, a learning plan that fits a real-world timeline, and the positioning and interview craft to convert it into an offer. Outcomes depend on your effort, timing, and the broader market. For market-level salary context, see the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Levels.fyi.
    Who is this for?
    Three distinct audiences, one workshop each: (1) career switchers and self-taught beginners with no prior software experience trying to land their first software job; (2) final-year students and recent graduates targeting AI roles at the $200K+ band; and (3) working software, data, or adjacent engineers (senior IC and above) targeting staff/principal AI roles at the $800K+ band. Pick the workshop that matches where you are.
    How do the 1:1 follow-up sessions work?
    1:1 sessions are $100/hr, 60 minutes, booked through Calendly. They're the place to get personalized feedback on your resume, projects, learning plan, and upcoming interviews. 1:1 sessions are exclusively for Skip the Cert workshop attendees — your private booking link is sent in your post-purchase confirmation email. The 1:1 is a follow-up to the workshop, not a substitute for it. Already attended and need the link again? Email hello@skipthecert.com.
    Can my employer pay for this?
    Often, yes. Stripe issues a paid invoice on purchase that you can submit for reimbursement. If your employer needs a W-9 or specific invoicing fields, email hello@skipthecert.com.
    What's the refund policy?
    Full refund if requested at least 7 days before the seminar starts. See the Refund Policy below for the full terms.
    Will the session be recorded?
    No. Skip the Cert workshops are live and not recorded — that's intentional. The format depends on you being present, doing the exercises, and getting real-time feedback. Passive consumption of a recording is not what gets people hired. Can't make the cohort? Roll your seat to a future date, or book a 1:1 follow-up at $100/hr.

    Policies & disclosures

    Please read before purchasing. By reserving a seat you agree to the Terms below.

    Terms of Service Privacy Policy Refund Policy Earnings Disclaimer

    Terms of Service

    These services are provided by Hispid Consulting LLC ("we", "us"). By purchasing a seat or booking a consultation you agree to these terms. The seminars and consultations are educational in nature. We make no guarantee of employment, income, or any specific outcome. You retain ownership of your own work; we retain ownership of all course materials, frameworks, and recordings, which you may not redistribute without written permission. To the maximum extent permitted by law, our aggregate liability arising out of or related to these services is limited to the amount you paid for the specific seminar or consultation at issue. These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, Collin County, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles.

    Privacy Policy

    We collect only the information needed to deliver the service: your name and email (collected at checkout), and payment data handled by Stripe. We do not sell your data. Email is sent through Google Workspace; payments are processed by Stripe under their own privacy and security terms. You can request deletion of your account data at any time by emailing hello@skipthecert.com. We use cookies only for basic analytics and the Calendly/Stripe widgets embedded on this page.

    Refund Policy

    Seminar seats are fully refundable if you request a refund at least 7 days before the scheduled start time. Within 7 days of the seminar, seats are non-refundable but transferable to a future cohort, subject to availability. 1:1 consultations are refundable up to 24 hours before the appointment; later cancellations forfeit the fee. To request a refund, email hello@skipthecert.com from the address used at checkout.

    Earnings Disclaimer

    Any references to careers, salary ranges, or industry compensation on this site are general, market-level statements drawn from sources such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. They are not promises, projections, or guarantees of what you will earn. Outcomes depend on many factors outside of our control, including your background, effort, and market conditions. Testimonials reflect individual experiences and are not typical or representative results.