Career Break and Re-entry Challenges in Cybersecurity

The poster has two years of cybersecurity experience (2017–2019) in open-source SIEM/log management, endpoint security, and compliance/audit work. After a multi-year break due to family responsibilities, they earned an OSCP+ certification in November 2025 and have since applied for offensive security roles without success. They are currently unemployed, improving skills in penetration testing automation and AWS security, and seeking advice on re-entering the field.