LIVE EDITION · G4 · BASE 3124
THE SCHEDULE
The climb out of construction and into a SOC — one rung at a time.
The ladder
0 of 10 completeTryHackMe Pre-SecurityIn progress
What it isThe on-ramp: how computers talk, how the web works, how Linux feels under your hands — all in browser labs you cannot break.
Why it mattersIt turns a construction trade into a technical vocabulary. Your tracker already has the first session logged (45 min, Network Fundamentals); this rung is about finishing the path, not starting over.
Path length ≈40 h; your tracker gives it until Nov 12.
Security+ Domains 1–2Planned
What it isGeneral security concepts plus the threat landscape: attacker types, attack vectors, and the controls that answer them.
Why it mattersThese two domains are the vocabulary every SOC interview assumes. Get them solid before the clock gets tight — the rest of the exam leans on them.
≈4 weeks in your tracker (Nov 12 → Dec 10) at 15–20 h/wk.
Security+ Domains 3–5 + Cyber 101Planned
What it isArchitecture, operations, and program management — plus hands-on Cyber 101 labs so the exam theory has somewhere to land.
Why it mattersDomain 4 is security operations: the part of the exam that looks most like the job you are climbing toward.
≈4 weeks in your tracker (Dec 10 → Jan 7) at 15–20 h/wk.
Practice exams at 85%+Planned
What it isRepeat full-length practice exams until the score stops moving and the weak domains are named and fixed.
Why it mattersA score floor is cheaper than a retake. This rung exists so exam day is a formality, not a gamble.
≈4 weeks in your tracker (Jan 7 → Feb 4), 3–4 full exams plus review.
CompTIA Security+ certifiedPlanned
What it isBook the exam, sit it, pass it, and put the credential on the resume and LinkedIn the same week.
Why it mattersIt is the door key for SOC Tier 1: the cert most postings name, and the one you can carry before you have the job.
Exam session plus scheduling/admin — your tracker has Feb 10.
Two portfolio projectsPlanned
What it isA home SOC lab and a SIEM / threat-hunt build, each written up on GitHub: what it does, what you saw, how you would defend it.
Why it mattersResumes get skimmed, portfolios get interviews. Two documented builds are the proof that the cert has hands behind it.
≈3 weeks in your tracker (Feb 10 → Mar 4).
TryHackMe SOC Level 1Planned
What it isThe blue-team path: alert triage, phishing analysis, log investigation, and the daily rhythm of a Tier 1 queue.
Why it mattersIt rehearses the actual job — read the alert, write the note that closes it — which is exactly what a Tier 1 interview probes.
≈2 weeks in your tracker (Mar 4 → Mar 18).
Three more projects + PythonPlanned
What it isFive total portfolio builds, including a log parser, a threat-hunt tool, and one automation script written in Python.
Why it mattersPython is the line between clicking a dashboard and automating it. Five builds is a body of work, not a hobby.
Your tracker allots 2 weeks (Mar 18 → Apr 1) — the tightest window on the ladder.
Applications submittedPlanned
What it isA finished resume and LinkedIn, then real applications to SOC Analyst, Security Analyst, and Jr. Security Engineer roles.
Why it mattersYou cannot get hired without applying, and applications are a volume game with a tailored resume per role.
≈8 weeks in your tracker (Apr 1 → May 27) — measured in applications, not study hours.
First cybersecurity jobPlanned
What it isInterview, negotiate, accept. The offer letter for the first role in security operations.
Why it mattersThe top of this ladder and the bottom of the next one — the point where the construction chapter closes and the SOC chapter starts.
Offer stage — no study clock. Your tracker targets Jul 15, 2027.