u/Zeltoc

I have 5 YoE in IT, the CompTIA trifecta plus the Server+. I recently acquired the BTL1 (Blue Team Level 1) from Centri as well, last week.

I'm applying to SOC Analyst roles daily and almost zero luck still.

I've redesigned my resume numerous times based on feedback from people in the field and a few hiring managers from general IT fields.

I'm still not getting anything but denials via email so I'm entirely lost on what to do at this point. I'm not sure if I'm just being impatient, or my resume still isn't up to par, or what.

Looking for advice.

Background: 9 years in IT - infrastructure, sysadmin, network, and endpoint support. Most recently an IT Support Specialist at an MSP supporting 2,500+ users across SMB clients with CJIS compliance. A lot of that role was security-adjacent: monitoring SentinelOne and Trend Micro EDR, alert triage, incident response, AD and M365 security.

Where I'm headed: Targeting Tier 1 SOC Analyst as a step toward detection/IR work longer term. Working through TryHackMe's pentest path, OSCP further out.

Certs: Security+, CSIS, Network+, Server+, A+, CIOS, CNIP.

Homelab: Proxmox environment - isolated AD lab, Wazuh SIEM + Sysmon. Published detection writeups on GitHub covering NTLM brute force, credential access, Kerberoasting, and phishing triage, mapped to MITRE ATT&CK.

What I'm specifically asking:

1. Does my DIS experience read clearly as security work, or does the "IT Support Specialist" title undercut it?
2. Is the homelab/GitHub section pulling weight, or does it read as filler?
3. Anything that would get me auto-screened for a Tier 1 role?

I can send a link of an edited version of my resume if needed.

Background: 9 years in IT - infrastructure, sysadmin, network, and endpoint support. Most recently an IT Support Specialist at an MSP supporting 2,500+ users across SMB clients with CJIS compliance. A lot of that role was security-adjacent: monitoring SentinelOne and Trend Micro EDR, alert triage, incident response, AD and M365 security.

Where I'm headed: Targeting Tier 1 SOC Analyst as a step toward detection/IR work longer term. Working through TryHackMe's pentest path, OSCP further out.

Certs: Security+, CSIS, Network+, Server+, A+, CIOS, CNIP.

Homelab: Proxmox environment - isolated AD lab, Wazuh SIEM + Sysmon. Published detection writeups on GitHub covering NTLM brute force, credential access, Kerberoasting, and phishing triage, mapped to MITRE ATT&CK.

What I'm specifically asking:

1. Does my DIS experience read clearly as security work, or does the "IT Support Specialist" title undercut it?
2. Is the homelab/GitHub section pulling weight, or does it read as filler?
3. Anything that would get me auto-screened for a Tier 1 role?

I can send a link of an edited version of my resume if needed.