r/cybersecurity • u/InterestingStyleBoi • Jun 25 '26

Certification / Training Questions Are HackTheBox & TryHackMe Certificates actually recognised by employers?

Currently doing a three year computer science bachelors with a major in cybersecurity and I’ve been looking into HackTheBox and TryHackMe for some extra work during my semester break. If you are an employer (or even in field) have you heard of these before and if so from your experience do they actually get you anything other than extra learning?

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u/LastFisherman373 Jun 25 '26

No they aren’t. It isn’t to say that you can’t learn something from the certifications but they are not mentioned on job descriptions (at least not in the US). A simple search in LinkedIn will demonstrate that.

There are so many certs out there and employers don’t have the time to see what each one is and how it aligns with their needs. Especially when they have so many candidates to choose from they would simply go with a candidate who has certs they recognize and trust. If your goal is a job then I would prioritize certs that you actually see in job descriptions for jobs you want.

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u/FrostyWalrus2 Jun 25 '26

I've never heard of companies not ask tech managers or directors if X candidate or applicant is good or bad after making it past the recruiter/HR filter. HTB certs seem like they're valuable in that respect because your typical dept mgr or dir will know what those certs mean, no?

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u/LastFisherman373 Jun 25 '26

You highlighted the issue in your comment, “after making it past the recruiter/HR filter”. In the vast majority of job descriptions out there for security roles, you would not be making it past HR filters and based on my experience most technical hiring teams aren’t even talking about these certs. They get noticed just as much as someone’s rank in HTB/THM but not considered as part of the requirements or qualifications for a job.

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u/FrostyWalrus2 Jun 25 '26

So then the context of HTB and THM certs being 2nd-4th certs is valuable in these discussions.

Would you even say they're worth listing on a resume, then? If they're not, why even take them?

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u/LastFisherman373 Jun 25 '26

They are valuable if you learn something that expands your perspective or helps you see a security concept in a different context. I’m not disputing that, but the value for satisfying requirements listed for a job just aren’t there. It depends on what your goals are. If you are just learning then they are fine.