hello, thank you for this reply.

the only reason i mentioned Kali Linux is it's a requirement for the oscp? and i guess kali would be used for basic pen testing.

i'm not sure exactly where i fall, id like to be a jack of trades for a few things; defensive protections, pen testing, social engineering.

thank you for your advice, that's what i really want, to put myself into the position where i can solve real problems and be a part of the sec community.

thank you snazz.