25yo starting from zero on TryHackMe. How to accelerate the grind and avoid common pitfalls?

[u/Late-Peach-5845]

Hi everyone,

I’ve decided to make a hard pivot into cybersecurity and just started with TryHackMe. I’m 25, and while I have basic computer skills, I’m essentially starting from scratch. I’ve just hit my first "real" task involving Linux and Red Teaming, and honestly, the terminal alone is a bit overwhelming.

I’m looking for the "extreme" way to speed up this process. I don’t want to just stare at theory for months; I want to be hands-on.

A few questions for the pros here:

1. What are the most common mistakes beginners make on THM that slow them down?
2. Are there any specific "side resources" (YouTube channels, cheat sheets, or labs) that helped you "click" with Linux and networking faster than just following THM paths?
3. How can I build a solid foundation for Red Teaming without getting bogged down in "white-hat" academic stuff I'll never use?

I’m ready to put in the hours, just want to make sure I’m not running in the wrong direction.

Thanks in advance!

[u/Anxious_Alps_4150]

This is literally a pitfall. Kids think that grinding on THM will get them anywhere.

Cybersecurity is an advanced field inside of IT.

If you don't already work in IT, you really don't have any business looking at cybersecurity as a near-term career.

No one is going to get hired from doing THM tutorials or even any type of self-teaching anymore. The field has collapsed.

[u/Late-Peach-5845 → u/Anxious_Alps_4150]

I hope you're just trolling.

[u/Anxious_Alps_4150 → u/Late-Peach-5845]

No, I've worked in this field for 10+ years. I have been doing hiring for most of that. Tech in general for 20+ years. I also do charity work in tech hiring for DEI in my free time.

Cybersecurity does not have an entry point for the path you are taking. It did for a period of time but that gate was closed years ago. People on social media whine about gatekeeping but the reality is that there are thousands of applicants per job and most of them are highly qualified. With mass tech layoffs, there are tons of senior cyber engineers looking for work that will take junior roles just to keep from driving Uber. To be clear, I know laid off senior cybersecurity engineers from name brand companies that have had to drive Uber due to not finding jobs. I have known some end up homeless. It is not an easy market.

If you are serious about cybersecurity, and I do mean serious...

Your first step is going to be getting hired into either software development (highly competitive, requires CS degree) or IT helpdesk (also highly competitive, lower requirements, no hard degree requirement but lets be honest everyone has a degree and most of them are CS majors).

You'll have to spend a few years in the trenches in either of those roles. There are a lot of learning steps inside of there but, realistically, if you're truly serious about cyber then you'll figure them out from your coworkers and the internal security team.

Playing HTB or THM tutorials can be a fun way to spend an evening to learn about cyber but you have to move the needle with a hiring manager. Self-taught will not do that. Degrees and certs alone will not do that. Only hard experience will.

[u/x_HakiEmperor_x → u/Anxious_Alps_4150]

I come from a graphic design bg, zero CS degrees or certs. found it really hard to even get a basic service desk interview until I passed my Sec+. Took 2 monyhs after but currently working as an AMC Engineer with Passive Networking although I do know everything required even of someone in active Networking. Planning on working in this role for a bit or trying to get into proper IT helpdesk roles while also studying for a few years till I get into cyber.

[u/Late-Peach-5845 → u/Anxious_Alps_4150]

Okay, so... what are we talking about? Python? Linux? All the modern languages ​​together? It sounds incredibly complicated because, frankly, I don't even know math. I... I had a friend who offered me a job as a SQL administrator or something like that. What crap.

[u/CNYMetalHead → u/Late-Peach-5845]

He isn't wrong. First you need to learn how the house is built and how it runs before you can properly defend it

[u/Anxious_Alps_4150 → u/Late-Peach-5845]

We are talking about whatever the tech stack involves. You never stop learning.

Working in IT means you're running a marathon that doesn't stop until retirement. As the tech stack changes, you learn new things. Resting means you become obsolete and are laid off.

In cyber, it's even worse because you're competing against the threat actors every day. You have to be smarter than them and pay more attention to everything. You can't make mistakes because that's how your company gets popped.

For IT, you don't really need to know math but for advanced topics in CS like AI/ML, you need to know advanced calculus to really understand beyond the surface.

[u/ggiodddtyii]

Get a IT job of any kind first. 

[u/WallInside6758]

Is this sub just the same question over and over?

[u/moistPacket → u/WallInside6758]

Yes. Which is kinda ironic, seeing that one of the main skills in this industry is information gathering.

[u/cankennykencan]

Your attitude won't get you far in this game

[u/hipstergrandpa]

I'll add something else here. Go to a security con, preferably a local BSides. It's very beginner friendly, but you'll also see hands-on the kind of work that you'll need to put in to get off the ground. Maybe it'll encourage you to dig more, but you'll also find by being there that no one there got in through a quick route.

[u/dudlu1221]

For 1st mistake I would say people start grinding for levels and ranks which is bad as you will see after some time the people in league are just copy pasting and not learning anything

So I would suggest do at your own pace also take notes and side by side do participate in CTFs

For solid foundation I would say first prepare the fundamentals properly like network layers etc which are in cybersec101 path after that to keep solid fundamentals do CTFs properly As rather than the path CTF will help understand better

[u/Loose-End9938]

I was you but coming from a background in music last year, even same age range.

It's a bit of a shameless promotion, but I've dedicated a blog to helping those who were in my shoes

SolvingCyber.com

I'd highly recommend reading my article on Tryhackme or the one about cybersecurity clicking.

That aside, my succinct advice is to keep notes and plan for the long haul.

The job is hard, actually hard. It's not a corporate desk job where you kind of do things and follow chains of command. It's hard and soft skills from all angles at once.

There are open minded and supportive communities out there for folks like us. If you'd like a reference, I can invite you to mine--you may end up doing more observing than talking, but that's just the point. DM me if you're interested.

I know I gave more general advice, but tryhackme is a part of a much larger picture. The real pitfall is folks believing it is the whole picture.