Wrapped the Google Cybersecurity cert today. All 9 courses, 3 months (half the suggested timeline). While sick. Poor judgment but good timing.
Real talk: The cert is entry-level foundations. The actual learning starts now.
What I built during the program:
- Risk assessment docs (NIST CSF)
- Network hardening guides
- Python automation for log parsing
- Incident response workflows
- Full portfolio: https://github.com/kqthrs/cybersec-cert-work
Two 2-week gaps in the middle where I almost didn't restart. Momentum is fragile.
Next steps: TryHackMe, HTB, actually applying this stuff in labs. Then hunting for that first SOC analyst role.
Certificate was the permission slip. Now comes the real work.
Thanks to everyone here who answered my newbie questions along the way. Infosec community is genuinely helpful.
#cybersecurity #infosec #soc #learninginpublic #getcertified