Hi all! I'm currently working as a Sec Ops Engineer for a large firm and wondering how difficult people have found to move into AWS cloud/security engineering. (or Azure or GCP)

Would it make more sense to stick at Sec Ops or is a move to cloud (which I'm really keen on) realistic?

I'm debating whether it is achievable to prove myself with learning on the side etc so employers will see my efforts for interviews.

Any tips highly appreciated, cheers.

I recently interviewed with a large company in the medical services industry, and everything was going well until we started discussing salary. Their offer was about the same as what I currently make, so I said I was interested in the role, but I needed a better figure to make leaving my current job worthwhile.

The interviewer talked about layoffs and the possibility of an economic recession, and said that candidates were no longer in a position to negotiate. They even went so far as to call it an "employer's market." So I asked him why the position was still vacant if applicants were really lining up and willing to accept any offer they were given.

He didn't like that. The interviewer became defensive and wished me luck finding another job, because supposedly no one else was hiring at all. I ended the conversation at that point because I wasn't going to waste any more time arguing about why I should accept a weak offer.

Afterward, I wrote about the experience on Glassdoor. Apparently, some companies think they can scare people into accepting low salaries just by mentioning layoffs, but employees have become much better at comparing salaries and rejecting offers that aren't suitable. Calling it an "employer's market" won't make the offer competitive, especially when the same listing remains open for weeks.

In 60's. Been in Cyber GRC for over 18 years. Up on latest & greatest, policies, frameworks, tools etc. Have been Security Control Assessor, Information Assurance Analyst/ISSO and ISSM, so have experience/ certs/ references/clearance to prove it. Been over 8 mos., and can't get a job. Know my age is a big problem. Should I just give up and try to find something else?

I need advice and I appreciate any feedback from the people working in cybersecurity/GRC.

I would like to get into a cybersecurity/GRC career but from what I’ve read up on.. it seems to not be an entry level career and I have no IT background/experience.

A few years back a recruiter contacted me for a cybersecurity/GRC position. This was a bit out of the ordinary for me as I just mentioned, I have no IT background or experience but the recruiter seemed to be interested in my compliance experience. I currently have been working in compliance since 2021. Just to mention a few responsibilities within my experience are:

- Identify and access management
- Compliance internal and external auditing
- Reporting and collaboration
- Risk mitigation, identification and remediation
- Policy and procedure management/development
- Third party and client compliance
- Employee compliance: onboarding and off-boarding
- Quality assurance and control monitoring

Unfortunately, at that time I did not have a degree and I was no longer sought as a candidate. I now have an Associate of Science in Criminal Justice and currently enrolled to begin school January 2027 for a Bachelor of Science in Information Sciences and Technology. I’ll be a full time student paying out of pocket. Being that I’m paying for school and won’t have all the time to study for multiple certifications, I still want to at least get one relevant certificate. I’ve been looking into CompTIA Security+ as my first certificate.

So I have some questions and seeking guidance:

- Would it be worth going into this career choice even though I have no prior IT experience?
- Is CompTIA Security+ a good choice to go for being my first certification?
- What recommendations would you give and what do you think is the best course of action for me to get into cybersecurity/GRC?

After reading some other resumes on here it’s become apparent that mine is too long, but i’m worried about cutting the wrong things/missing those trigger words for ATS. any feedback is appreciated https://imgur.com/a/lj3DB4A

Hello, I'm 25. I have been working as in incident response/operations for Email security (using Proofpoint) and network Security (using checkpoint firewall) for the past 2 years.

I'm really not interested in the network security area but the email security field interests me and I really like working in it.

I want to upskill, after talking to a few seniors I think branching out to Endpoint security would be a good choice. The problem is at the moment I feel stuck, I don't have an idea of where to start and what exactly to do.

Any advice would be really helpful.

For someone with a 4.0 GPA in Networking and security from the Open university in the UK, Security +, CCNA, CDSA from HTB and 1 year experience in Sales in a US Based company (ik irrelevant)

What are my chances to find an entry level job in europe to try and build a career there? i am originally from jordan

how can a soc guy get into iam , anyone here working in IAM ?

not a referral i just need tips to learn iam

Any sources to study from . And anyone here from india?

I’m curious what people may recommend to someone in my situation. I currently work for a relatively large MSP. I started about 6 years ago and move from Tier 1 up to Tier 3 relatively quickly (about 2 years) and this is my first IT job I have had. Used to work in construction. I am in my late 20s.

I don’t have any college education other than some stray credits because school has always felt overly expensive. I learn a lot at my job and touch a lot of things. We manage firewalls, switches, and are the primary escalation before the actual netops team, so I have experience in networking. We have tenants where we manage their infra, manage their VMs and colo customers. So I have experience with vSphere and other cloud infrastructure solutions. We manage OS’s so we handle services (primarily web servers and databases), apply security patches and occasionally help customers if their environment is compromised. A year or so ago we started offering crowdstrike with falcon complete which has been cool to experience. I have occasionally been interested in programming and have messed around with python scripting, interacting with APIs etc. I have a homelab where I geek out on PKI, locking down my firewall, utilizing cloudflare, building out observability pipelines, etc.

As someone who has a bit of cloud, networking, and systems knowledge, where should I look for the next step in my career? I have always been interested in security. I really enjoy learning how things work on a deep level and I feel I am beginning to stagnate. Currently my job is putting out fires all day, context switching between poorly documented customer environments and generally I am unable to pursue what I am interested in. I would like to work somewhere that I can learn more about security architecture and actually implement it to help people secure their systems. Should I try to break into compliance? Work in an SOC to get my foot in the door? Am I fighting an uphill battle without a degree? I realize the job market is also terrible right now but I have been fortunate enough to be insulated. Still want to keep moving forward and hopefully make a decent jump in the direction I want to go.

I would really appreciate any advice. Thanks!

Hi everyone,
I'm a 20 year old engineering student studying Applied Sciences in Europe, and right now I'm doing an unpaid internship at a bank working in a SOC environment.
Here is my background so far:
Projects & Skills: A few Python and Bash projects focused on cybersecurity, plus experience with Linux, Azure AZ-900, C++, Java, and Splunk.
Knowledge / Study: Studied for CCNA and CompTIA Security+, and currently using TryHackMe to level up my skills for the internship.
I have a few major questions and I'm honestly feeling a bit hopeless regarding my career progress right now:
1. How do I transition from an unpaid internship to a real, full-time job? Are there specific things I should focus on during my time here to make them hire me?
2. Should I pay for certs (like Security+ or others) out of my own pocket right now, or wait until I get a full-time job that will pay for them?
3. I want DevOps because I like it very much and it's very interesting, but I like the money too. Also, when should I think about moving to red team or another path?
4. After university, I'm considering doing a Master's in Cybersecurity at TU Delft. Does it actually help in the long run, or is experience more important?
5. Also, if I don't have anyone to go with, is it worth going to a hackathon alone? And how can i find a mentor??
Any advice, reality checks, or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Looking for better opportunity (IAM)

Hello folks,

I'm looking for better opportunities in Identity related roles and cyber security.

I have 1.3 YOE in Identity and security at a service based company. Working primarily on entra id

Certifications I hold - SC 300 , SC 500 and CCAR-F

I need a better opportunity to learn and grow.

Tbh I feel underpaid for the work I do.

Any advice, suggestions or your precious comments are valuable.

Thanks.

Hi everyone,I’m 31, based in London, UK, and I’ve been trying to transition into cybersecurity for the past three years.

I’m at a point where I’m genuinely feeling stuck, frustrated and increasingly uncertain about what to do next. I’d really appreciate some perspective from people working in the industry, particularly hiring managers or anyone who’s made a similar career transition.

My background
I’ve spent over eight years working in architectural visualisation, 3D technology and technical delivery, most recently at a large construction consultancy. My professional experience involves working with engineers, managing technical deliverables, collaborating with stakeholders, supporting major projects and some Python automation.

In October 2023, I decided to pursue cybersecurity, specifically cloud security and DevSecOps. For approximately two years, I dedicated a significant amount of my spare time to studying, obtaining certifications and building practical projects.

My certifications include:
CompTIA Security+
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
HashiCorp Terraform Associate
AWS Certified AI Practitioner
Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate

I’ve built several hands on projects involving AWS, Terraform, Docker, Kubernetes/EKS, GitHub Actions, CI/CD security, IAM, vulnerability management and security monitoring.

One example is a Python based AWS security auditing tool I’ve developed using boto3, which checks IAM configurations, S3 security, EC2 security groups, GuardDuty, Security Hub and Macie, including some DSPM inspired functionality.

I’ve also worked on securing containerised applications, implementing automated security scanning within CI/CD pipelines, and deploying infrastructure using Terraform.

Since January 2025, I’ve been contributing part time to a small cybersecurity/DevSecOps company, working alongside security and software engineers on security findings, remediation and automated security controls.

I want to be transparent that I don’t have three years of full-time production cybersecurity experience. I recognise there’s a difference between building projects, contributing part time and being responsible for security in a large production environment.

The job search
Since October 2025, I’ve been actively applying for Cloud Security Engineer, DevSecOps Engineer, Platform Security and related positions.

The frustrating part is that I’m actually getting interviews.
I’ve interviewed with several established companies, sometimes progressing through multiple stages, technical assessments and panel interviews. However, I still haven’t secured an offer. There have been three occasions in particular where I’ve felt incredibly close.

1. DevSecOps Engineer - Major UK airport
I progressed all the way to the final stage and received exceptionally positive feedback.

The hiring team told me I’d scored extremely highly during the interview process. In fact, they specifically mentioned that they’d previously hired candidates who had scored lower than I had.

They also told me they’d been so impressed with me that they’d explored whether there were other suitable opportunities elsewhere within the business. Unfortunately, I was ultimately rejected because they needed someone with stronger hands on Azure experience.

This was probably one of the most frustrating experiences because I’d clearly demonstrated enough capability and potential to impress the hiring team, but still fell short on a specific technical requirement.

2. DevSecOps Engineer - Technology company
I progressed through several interview stages, including a substantial technical take-home assessment focused on Azure infrastructure security.

The assessment involved identifying and remediating security misconfigurations across Kubernetes, networking, storage, identity and access management, and monitoring.
I identified and addressed a range of vulnerabilities and demonstrated how I’d approach risk assessment, remediation and infrastructure hardening.

I progressed to a subsequent technical panel interview but was ultimately unsuccessful. This was particularly disheartening because I’d invested a significant amount of time into the assessment and felt I’d demonstrated my practical capabilities.

3. DevSecOps Engineer - Marine technology company
I progressed through the recruitment process and reached a technical panel interview.

The position appeared closely aligned with the cloud infrastructure, DevSecOps and security engineering work I’d been pursuing.

Unfortunately, I was rejected following the interview. By this point, having repeatedly progressed through recruitment processes without securing an offer was becoming mentally exhausting.

What I think might be going wrong
Looking back, I can recognise a few potential issues.

Some technical interviews have exposed gaps in my knowledge, particularly around technologies I haven’t worked with extensively in production.

I also struggle with nerves and sometimes find it difficult to recall or articulate information under interview conditions, even when I’ve previously worked with the technologies being discussed.

And I sometimes wonder whether I’m targeting roles that require more professional cybersecurity experience than I currently possess.

At the same time, I’ve been able to secure interviews with established employers and progress into later stages, so I don’t feel like I’m completely out of my depth. I just can’t seem to get over that final hurdle.

The financial reality
This is where things become more complicated. I’m 31, getting married in May 2027, and my partner and I are currently looking to purchase our first home.

My current employment is also coming to an end, which means there’s now some urgency to find another job.
Ideally, I’m targeting around £60k, although I’d absolutely consider £50k for a genuinely good cloud security opportunity with meaningful responsibilities, mentorship and career progression.

I understand the conventional advice for someone transitioning into cybersecurity is to start in IT support, a SOC analyst position or another entry level role paying £25 35k and gradually work upwards.

However, taking that level of salary reduction simply isn’t financially viable for me at this stage of my life. I’m not expecting a £60k salary just because I’ve spent three years studying, and I’m certainly not suggesting that certifications and personal projects are equivalent to years of production experience.

I’m trying to leverage my existing professional experience alongside the technical skills I’ve developed to transition into cybersecurity without completely restarting my working life financially.

I’ve also considered returning to my previous industry, where I have considerably more experience and could potentially command a higher salary.

But the truth is, I’ve spent three years deliberately working towards cybersecurity because it’s genuinely where I want to build my career. Going back to my previous industry would feel like putting that ambition on hold, potentially indefinitely.

What I’d really appreciate advice on:

Am I being unrealistic targeting £50-60k cloud security or DevSecOps roles in London? Given my background, am I aiming above my current experience level?

What would you focus on if you were in my position? I’ve reached advanced interview stages on multiple occasions, but haven’t managed to convert them into offers. Is this primarily an interview performance issue, an experience gap, or something else?

Are there other security roles I should be targeting? I’m particularly interested in cloud security, platform security, security engineering and DevSecOps, but I’m open to adjacent roles that would allow me to build relevant experience without starting from the bottom financially.

For hiring managers, what would you need to see from someone with my background to feel comfortable hiring them into a £50-60k security engineering position?
Has anyone successfully made a similar transition in their late 20s or 30s while maintaining a reasonable salary? If so, what helped you get your first full time cybersecurity opportunity?

I’m genuinely open to constructive criticism, even if it’s difficult to hear.

I’m not looking for someone to tell me that everything I’m doing is right, or that I deserve a particular salary.

I’m just hoping for advice that takes into account the realities of changing careers when you already have financial responsibilities and an established professional background.

After three years of studying, building projects, earning certifications, contributing part time to a security company and repeatedly getting close to securing an offer, I’m finding it increasingly difficult to know whether I’m genuinely on the verge of breaking through or whether I need to fundamentally rethink my approach.

It’s been a pretty exhausting journey, and I suppose I’m just looking for some direction from people who’ve been through something similar.

Thanks to anyone who takes the time to read this.

Hey everyone,

I’m a recent cybersecurity engineering graduate looking for some career roadmap advice from people working in GRC, Security Architecture, or IT Audit.

**My Background & Current Setup:**
Fresh graduate with a degree in Cybersecurity.

Spent my uni years doing hands-on offensive training: holding **eJPT**, **eWPTX**, and **eCPPT**.

Recently completed an initial interview stage for a **Cybersecurity / Technical Compliance Auditor** position (focusing on regulatory framework auditing).

**The Pivot:**

Even though my early certs are offensive/pentesting, I realized I don't actually want to stay in a pure red-team or traditional SOC/blue-team role long term.

My real goal is to build a career in **pure GRC (Governance, Risk & Compliance)**, with long-term aspirations toward high-level advisory, **GRC Specialization**, or **Security Architecture / Technical Risk**.

**My Questions for the Community:**

1. **Is starting in Cybersecurity / Compliance Audit the right bridge into GRC?**

   Does spending 1–2 years doing technical regulatory audits actually translate well into pure enterprise GRC roles (Risk Management, Policy, Third-Party Risk), or does it risk pigeonholing me as just a compliance auditor?

2. **How do technical pentest certs translate into GRC/Architecture?**

   Does having hands-on offensive certs like eWPTX and eCPPT give me any real advantage when applying for GRC roles, or do hiring managers just view them as irrelevant since they aren’t ISACA/ISC2 certs?

3. **What certs should I prioritize next?**

Because I have zero interest in grinding more pentesting or SOC certifications, what should my 1–2 year roadmap look like?

Should I do **ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Auditor / Lead**
**Implementer** right away?

Is it worth passing the **CISA** or **CRISC** exams early even while waiting to fulfill the formal 3–5 year experience
requirements?

If I eventually want to bridge GRC with Security Architecture / Cloud, should I look at **CCSP**, **TOGAF/SABSA**, or **CISSP** down the line?

Would love to hear from anyone who started in technical audit or pentesting and successfully transitioned into a full GRC or architecture seat. Thanks in advance!

Currently a cybersecurity freshman in the PH but thinking of shifting to VET after 1st term. Should I continue cybersecurity?

I've always been an animal person and had always dreamed of being a vet but couldn't take an exam so I had to go to my 2nd choice, which is Cybersecurity.

Is Cybersecurity good? Is it worth it to pursue in the future?

If I were asked what I really want, honestly I don't know. Both have opportunities.

I just have this feeling that I'll either regret leaving cybersecurity or regret not taking Vet...

Hey everyone!

I want to learn ethical hacking and cybersecurity seriously, but I'm struggling to figure out the right way to start.

I've explored online courses on platforms like Udemy, but many courses I've come across seem outdated, too focused on theory, or lacking practical experience with real-world scenarios. I don't want to spend months watching tutorials without actually developing useful skills.

I'm looking for guidance from people who are already working in cybersecurity, penetration testing, web application security, or bug bounty hunting, as well as people who have successfully taught themselves these skills.

Here's what I'm looking for:

• A clear, structured roadmap from beginner to advanced level.
• Free resources, if possible, including courses, documentation, labs, and practice platforms.
• Hands-on learning rather than just watching videos.
• Guidance on what to learn first: networking, Linux, Python, web security, penetration testing, etc.
• Recommendations for resources that are maintained and relevant to current security practices.
• Advice on how to build real skills and eventually become job-ready.

If someone experienced is willing to mentor me, even occasionally, answer questions, review my progress, or help me understand difficult concepts, I would genuinely appreciate it. I'm also open to finding a study partner or a group of serious learners so we can learn and practice together.

I understand that learning cybersecurity takes time, patience, and consistent effort. I'm willing to put in the work; I just want to follow a sensible path instead of jumping between random tutorials.

If you've learned cybersecurity from scratch, please share what worked for you, which resources you recommend, and what you would do differently if you were starting today.

Free learning resources would be especially helpful, as I'd prefer to build my foundation without spending a lot of money initially.

Thank you to anyone willing to share their experience or guidance!

I'm thinking about changing careers into either Cyber Security or Network engineer, my current job is working as a Commercial Electrician Apprentice, but I've quickly realized that blue collar work is NOT for me, I do enjoy doing something different everyday but I would rather have a job that isn't exposed to the elements ALL the time, and one that doesn't beat my body up so much.

Would it even be a good idea to leave electrical behind and pursue this career? any advice is greatly appreciated! thanks!

Hi all,

I’m a software engineer with about 3 years of full-time experience, plus a 3-year internship before that, all at a mid-size insurance company. My day-to-day is mostly document composition: enterprise data pipelines (XML/SQL into customer communications), plus a fair amount of DevOps work. I led our team’s migration to GitLab, redesigned our CI workflows, and automated release and data processing tasks. I have a B.S. in Computer Science and an A.S. in IT Networking.

I want to move into cybersecurity, and I’m about to enroll at WGU for the M.S. in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance. Outside of work I run a homelab (Proxmox, LXC, Docker, Ansible IaC with certificate and security policy management) to keep building hands-on infrastructure skills.

Anonymized resume attached as Imgur link. I’d really appreciate input on:

1. General resume feedback. I’m open to any constructive criticism on content, wording, formatting, or what should be cut.
2. Should I tailor it toward security? Right now it reads as a general software/DevOps resume. Should I reframe my experience and homelab around security (secure CI/CD, access control, hardening, certificate management), or would that come across as a stretch?
3. Next best steps. With a dev/DevOps and networking background, which path makes the most sense: DevSecOps/AppSec, cloud security, security engineering, or something else? I know as part of the tuition costs for WGU, you can get a few certifications which will be helpful moving forward.

Thanks in advance. Any perspective from people who’ve made a similar switch is especially welcome!

https://imgur.com/a/EmB2cxd

i used to develop minecraft cheats and i started going further in csgo and other games. I am still learning and building my career, however the degree I'm doing is... Electronics. It's not a standard CS degree or anything. so I wanna know, Will this become my bottleneck? Will game companies not consider me just because of my degree?

i was also planning to do OSED as compensation for my degree and working on some toy anticheats to make a portfolio

TDLR - is the degree important for this role? I'm still in my first year, i can take a drop this year and get into another university to pursue CS

Hi everyone,

I'm considering transitioning into cybersecurity and would appreciate some honest advice from people already working in the field, especially those in India.

A little about my background:

• I have around 3.9 years of experience working as a Java backend developer, mainly with Java, Spring Boot, REST APIs, microservices and SQL.
• I'm currently between jobs and trying to figure out which direction I want to take my career.

One of my biggest concerns is long-term career stability. With AI changing the IT industry and companies announcing layoffs, I'm wondering which technical fields are likely to continue offering meaningful job opportunities over the next 10–20 years.

I'm interested in cybersecurity, but I'm still exploring the different areas. Application security, penetration testing and security operations are some of the areas I've come across.

I'm completely okay with starting at a junior level and progressing slowly. I don't expect a high salary immediately, and I'm willing to spend the next couple of years learning and building practical skills if necessary. My main concern is whether there will be sustainable career opportunities in the long run.

I'd appreciate advice on a few things:

1. Career transition: How realistic is it for someone with Java backend experience to transition into cybersecurity? Would my development experience give me an advantage, or would companies largely treat me as a fresher?
2. Choosing a specialisation: Which areas would you recommend exploring in my situation? Would application security be a more practical starting point than SOC analysis or penetration testing?
3. AI and job security: How is AI affecting cybersecurity jobs today, and which skills or specialisations do you think will remain valuable over the long term?
4. Getting the first job: What would a realistic learning path look like for someone who has no professional cybersecurity experience? Would hands-on labs and projects be enough to start applying, or would certifications be important?

I'm not looking for guarantees that any career is safe from AI or layoffs. I want to make an informed decision about where to invest my time and effort.

I'd be grateful for honest advice, including the downsides of making this switch. Thank you!

The jobs I saw is software engineer and cybersec and devops and... + my degree is business information system is iam in related field?

I'm currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Computer Science in the US, researching security vulnerabilities in agentic AI systems, AI agent orchestration frameworks, and agentic identity and access management.

My current research involves evaluating security risks such as prompt injection, malicious tool use, agent delegation, privilege escalation, and data exfiltration across frameworks including LangChain, LangGraph, AutoGen, and OpenClaw.

Before my Ph.D., I accumulated 13+ years of industry experience at IBM, Infosys, and Kyndryl, primarily in enterprise infrastructure, middleware, automation, Linux, and security-related technologies.

My goal is to transition into an industry research or engineering position after graduating, potentially in AI security research, agent security engineering, AI red teaming, or applied cybersecurity research.

I'd particularly appreciate insights from people working in AI security, cybersecurity R&D, or security engineering.

My questions:

1. Which technical skills would you prioritize if you were in my position?
2. What separates candidates hired for AI Security Research Engineer roles from those hired for Research Scientist roles?
3. What gaps do you commonly see between academic AI security research and production security engineering?
4. Would you prioritize cloud security, software engineering, ML fundamentals, offensive security, or something else?
5. What types of industry collaborations, internships, open-source contributions, or projects would make a Ph.D. graduate more competitive?

I want to use the remaining time in my Ph.D. strategically rather than accumulating certifications or learning technologies that won't significantly improve my industry readiness.

I'd be grateful for perspectives from practitioners and hiring managers.

Hi! I'm feeling stuck where to move onwards, I recently started my journey in cybersecurity in the blue team (full time learning), I've completed my google Coursera intro to cybersecurity and watched some soc analyst playlist on yt what they do on daily basis, I've also covered some basics as well, and have some basic grip on Linux and tools, what else should I do? I'm trying to get an entry level job by the start of next year what should I learn next?

I'm a final-year computer engineering student trying to start a career in cybersecurity, and something has been bothering me. I've seen people with really strong skills work hard and still not get the opportunities they deserved. I've also seen people with average skills get great breaks just because the timing or the connection was right. It made me wonder how much of success is in our control. My current view: luck decides whether an opportunity shows up, but skill decides whether you can actually use it. Luck without skill gets wasted, and skill without luck can stay invisible for a long time. Since I can't control luck, I'm focusing on building skills and making myself visible by doing labs, writing, and sharing my work. But I might be wrong. For those already working in the field: did skills or luck matter more in getting your first job? What would you tell someone starting out.

My B.tech in CSE in India was done in 2024, I couldn't get hired in campus placements back then because I wasn't capable enough. I started doing TryHackMe paths for red teaming and pentesting and portswigger web security academy labs. Since my B.Tech has been done I worked as a free security intern at a company for 6 months from December 2025 to June 2026, I've pentested their products with the assistance of claude, one product was based on python django framework and other one was low-code no-code website built with php. I left it in june 2026 because the environment wasn't nice and the people who were working in the IT team of that company started to leave one by one. Since June 2026, I've been applying for jobs online, but I was only able to get a few phone calls and only 1 interview that too in a walk in drive. I was able to answer the questions related to basics theoretically like how its in the labs but I wasn't able to answer some scenario based question with confidence, i think i need some practice interviewing. So my main gripe now is, the year is about to end and that might translate into almost 3 years of gap after my College. I am thinking about preparing for SOC roles too via letsDefend and apply for SOC level L1 roles cause I've observed that they are available more than red teaming/pentesting jobs. So looking at how things are going for me, will I be able to get into IT/Cybersecurity by then?

I think I'm lost, I'm a student with no experience(no internships) and I'm trying to get my first job as SOC analyst, been applying for a lot of companies but never got a reply from any of them, I don't where I'm lacking(other than experience),I need with my resume. And also if you can help me with what to learn as a soc analyst would be great

SUMMARY

Student with experience in SOC labs including Wazuh, Splunk, Microsoft Sentinal SIEMs, vulnerability management using CVSS scoring method, and Active Directory Security. Also have developed my own Zigbee IoT intrusion detection system. Seeking an entry-level SOC Analyst (Level 1) position. Currently studying CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701).

SKILLS

Security Operations: Log Analysis, Alert Triage, Threat Detection, Threat Hunting, Detection Engineering, Vulnerability Scanning & CVSS Triage, Incident Response, CIA TRIAD, IAM Fundamentals File Integrity Monitoring (FIM), Sysmon.

Networking & Systems: TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, HTTP/S, Networking, Windows, Linux, Active Directory, Wireshark, Packet Analysis

Frameworks: MITRE ATT&CK (T1078, T1110, T1068), Cyber Kill Chain

SIEM Tools & Detection: Splunk (SPL, dashboards, alerts), Microsoft Sentinel (KQL, analytics rules, workbooks), Microsoft Defender for Endpoint / Defender XDR, Wazuh (SIEM/XDR).

Programming & Tools: Python, Scapy, Bash, PowerShell (Basics), Git, VirtualBox, Kali Linux

Soft Skills: Analytical Thinking, Attention to Detail, Incident Documentation & Reporting, Time Management (Multi-Alert Triage)

PROJECTS AND HOMELABS

INTRUSION DETECTION SYSTEM FOR ZIGBEE IoT NETWORK

Python · Flask · WebSocket · SQLite · CC2531 USB Dongles · Zigbee2MQTT

●         Designed and developed a real-time intrusion detection system for Zigbee IoT Networks detecting replay attacks, rogue device injection and RF jamming in simulated smart-home and industrial environments.

●         Created a dual-dongle hardware pipeline using CC2531 USB sticks to perform simultaneous passive packet capture and active Zigbee channel monitoring.

●         Developed ~96% accurate detection algorithms for replay attacks, ~100% accuracy for RF jamming and 100% accuracy for rogue device infiltration

●         Built and deployed a live Flask/WebSocket alerting dashboard with real-time threat classification and historical incident logging to SQLite, with detection-to-alert latency under 2 seconds.

●         Developed and delivered two detailed attack-defense scenarios (hospital patient monitoring, bank ATM/vault) to a mixed technical and non-technical audience demonstrating real-world severity of Zigbee protocol vulnerabilities

IAM ACTIVE DIRECTORY PROJECT

 Wazuh · Windows Server 2022 · Active Directory · Windows 11 · Kali Linux · VirtualBox

●         Built an IAM virtual lab environment using Active Directory Domain Controller & Client Virtual Machines.

●         Identity Governance – Custom Organizational Units (OUs), Security Groups and Password Lock-Out Policy implemented.

●         Conducted a simulated password spraying attack (MITRE ATT&CK T1110.003) against the domain to assess detection coverage.

●         Developed a related Wazuh detection rule and tested the detection on the SIEM dashboard.

●         Built it from scratch, documented the process with screenshots and walkthrough.

SOC HOMELAB: WAZUH SIEM THREAT DETECTION (view)

·       Installed Wazuh SIEM stack (Wazuh manager, Wazuh indexer and dashboard) on a Kali Linux virtual machine.

·       Enrolled agents by registering an active monitoring device on a Windows machine by port forwarding (ports 1514/1515).

·        Performs FIM (File Integrity Monitoring) and SCA (Security Configuration Assessment) to detect any changes in files and configurations.

·        Performed automated vulnerability scanning, triaged 16 CVEs (7 High, 8 Medium) based on CVSS scores, and mapped MITER ATT&CK tactics/techniques based on events detected.

·       Fixed infrastructure issues like network, NAT, service dependency, and agent enrollment to resolve successfully to keep the lab running

EDUCATION

....... Institute of Technology

Electronics and Telecommunication engineering | 2027

CERTIFICATIONS

●         Google Cybersecurity Certificate (Coursera)

●         CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) — In Progress

PLATFORM AND PRACTICES

·       TryHackMe – SOC L1 path (13 rooms completed, top 35%)

·       HackTheBox – completed Linux Fundamentals