wHAT is the REAL path to get a job in cyber
I feel stuck trying to break into cybersecurity, and I wanted to see if anyone else went through this stage.
My main goal is to become a SOC analyst or security analyst in general. Right now I have:
- Security+
- About a year of basic IT support experience
- A home lab I’m building with Kali Linux, Windows, and plans for Splunk
The problem is I feel like I’m all over the place. I’ll start a lab, get halfway through it, then realize I didn’t fully understand the concepts. Then I jump to TryHackMe, do a couple labs, then start watching YouTube videos about how people got into cyber, and it feels like I’m repeating the same cycle.
Everybody says:
- Get certifications
- Build labs
- Apply for jobs
I’m doing that, but I feel like I’m getting nowhere.
I’ve technically been unemployed for over a year. Some personal stuff slowed me down, and it took me longer to get my Security+, but now I finally have more time to focus on my career. I’m trying to figure out the right path and what tools I should actually focus on learning.
One thing I really want to learn is Splunk since it seems like one of the biggest SOC tools, but honestly it’s been difficult. The official cert training is expensive, and trying to find free walkthroughs online is frustrating. A lot of videos skip around or don’t explain what’s actually happening step-by-step.
I learn better when someone explains:
- What the tool does
- Why they’re doing something
- What the logs/events actually mean
- How this connects to a real SOC environment
At this point I’m trying to figure out:
- What tools should I focus on first?
- What labs/projects helped you the most?
- What made things finally “click” for you?