If you are serious about developing practical security skills, the learning environment you choose matters significantly. Passive reading and video courses will only take you so far. The platforms that consistently produce capable practitioners are the ones built around deliberate, hands-on practice against real systems.
HackTheBox is probably the best known, offering a mix of guided learning paths and intentionally vulnerable machines that require genuine offensive thinking to compromise. It is used widely by professionals preparing for roles in penetration testing and red teaming. TryHackMe is better structured for those earlier in their journey, with guided rooms that walk through specific techniques methodically - useful for building foundations before moving to less guided environments. OffSec, through its PEN-200 course and the OSCP certification, is the closest the industry has to a recognised benchmark for junior penetration testers. The exam format - 24 hours of live exploitation followed by a written report - is deliberately gruelling, and that difficulty is part of what gives the certification credibility.
None of these replace real-world experience, but they are the most reliable way to build transferable, practical capability before you have it. If you are hiring in security, they are also a reasonable signal of genuine technical motivation - someone who has worked through HTB Pro Labs or holds an OSCP has demonstrated they can operate under pressure, not just pass a multiple-choice exam.