Built a cybersecurity learning platform solo while still in school — what actually closes the gap between CTFs and real SOC/pentest work?

I'm a final-year cybersecurity student, and for the past year I've been building an eLearning platform on the side (CTF-style labs + structured career paths like SOC Analyst and Junior Pentester).

A few things that surprised me while building this:

• Most "beginner-friendly" content skips the boring 80% of the job — log triage, documentation, ticket queues — and focuses on the flashy 20%
• Certs get way more hype than actual hands-on lab hours
• There's a real gap between "I solved a CTF room" and "I could handle a live incident"

For people who've actually broken into SOC or pentest roles — what closed that gap for you? Structured courses, labs, a mentor, or just learning on the job?

Not pitching anything here, genuinely trying to figure out what to prioritize building next.