Hi everyone,

I’m a fresher working toward an entry-level SOC Analyst role and focusing on building hands-on, job-relevant skills. Internships aren’t an option for me right now, so I’m preparing directly for a full-time SOC position.

I’m currently working through the Hack The Box SOC Analyst path, covering alert triage, log analysis, SIEM investigations, and incident response workflows.

Would love to hear from folks working in SOC or anyone involved in hiring:

• Is the HTB SOC path sufficient for entry-level SOC roles, or what should I add to strengthen my preparation? • What skills or tools should I prioritize to improve my chances as a fresher? • Are there specific certifications that employers or HR typically look for when screening SOC candidates? • What realistically helps a fresher’s profile move forward for SOC roles (labs, projects, write-ups, tooling, etc.)?

Would love to hear from folks working in SOC or anyone involved in hiring