Hello everyone, this is the beginning of a very personal story. A journey through wins, losses, and lessons I’ll never forget. Today, I’m sharing how my first attempt at the OSCP+ didn’t go the way I hoped and why that failure ended up being the biggest turning point in my cybersecurity career.

🔐Why I Took on the OSCP+

With a background in Computer Science and a Master’s in Cybersecurity, I always felt the need to validate my skills and push beyond comfort zones. OSCP+ seemed like the perfect challenge, a certification that’s not only respected across the industry but also known for testing practical, real-world skills.

I opted for the LearnOne subscription from OffSec despite its price, hoping the structured material and one-on-one mentoring would set me up for success.

For almost 8 months, I studied hard. I read through the content, tackled labs on Hack The Box, TryHackMe, and Ground Play/Practice. But here’s the truth, I had no mentor, no friends who had done OSCP+. I walked this road alone, relying on Reddit threads, LinkedIn connections, Medium blogs, and a lot of self-motivation.

I didn’t know what to expect from the exam. Different people said different things. Some said it was manageable. Others made it…