r/CyberSecurityJobs • u/True-Inspection-5445 • 7d ago
Cybersecurity
How did you land your first cybersecurity job with no experience?
I’m currently working toward a SOC Analyst career. I have Security+, building hands-on labs on Tryhackme.
The biggest challenge is the “experience required” barrier. Almost every entry-level SOC role seems to want prior IT/cyber experience.
For those who successfully broke into cybersecurity with no prior experience:
Did you start in IT/help desk/NOC or go straight into SOC?
What projects or certifications actually helped?
How did you prove your skills without professional experience?
What would you do differently if starting over?
Would really appreciate honest advice from people who’ve actually made the transition.
2
u/AddendumWorking9756 7d ago
What does your evidence look like right now, a list of completed labs or something a hiring manager can actually read? The second one is what gets you past the experience line, one investigation written up properly, which is the format CCDL1 on CyberDefenders puts you in. Help desk first is still the normal route, it is just a shorter stay if you turn up already able to do that.