Is information technology a dead end job?

Pottery.

You're too damn old for IT.

Forensics and IT security are supposed to be hot areas

IT is soul destroying. Employment opportunities are good, but the job itself is pointless. What are you really doing? Programming computers. Who cares? After 20 year, I quit and studied nursing. Highly rewarding. Nurses are actually valued and respected. Tech nerds, hardly.

OP, think about your question: you're 40 yo. Your competitors in the job market will be very well educated kids in their 20s, brilliant kids in their 20s.

Do you really want to go there?

R2 What is your rationale for being too old for a job that isn't physically demanding?

Don't you have a feeling for whats possible for your life and possible careers, if you are mid-40's?

Maybe you should shoot for the highest paying job that suits your mind and desired work schedule, your geographic location, and which has little age discrimination.

You could be on Forensic Files!

[quote] What is your rationale for being too old for a job that isn't physically demanding?

Google: IT age discrimination

Bluntly, no. IT has a high degree of age bias after you turn 40. If you don’t have a masters in computer science or an engineering field, you won’t get hired. If you do get hired, you’ll get at best a starting salary in the mid 30’s..

Forensics and computer security are a heavy demand field because it requires multiple disciplines in programming. Accrediation requires a minimum of five years of work experience in computer security.

R2 I've heard of of the age discrimination in IT but I've often suspected people who went into IT before the 2000s were the tech adept young guys who lacked general people skills.

Aged care and disabilities

Aim for something in the field that gets you out and about (recreation, home visits, fitness, music therapy etc)

It can be fun and rewarding

If your in Australia the education is basically free, plenty of jobs and with salary packaging ($18k tax free) the pay is ok

I am in Australia and I think there is a lot of uncalled for discrimination based on age in positions where it shouldn't matter.

I'm glad you found something rewarding after IT, R4.

[quote] I think there is a lot of uncalled for discrimination based on age in positions where it shouldn't matter.

That's cool and all, OP, but unless you plan to run for Parliament with that as your campaign issue, it's not much use in your search for a new job.

OP, age discrimination happens in every field.

If I was to start over, I would do something in the medical field, preferably where I could get related employment as part of my education and training.

I considered changing fields and took one intro course. I realized I couldn't commit to the level of studying I would need to do while continuing to work full time. I spent my time pursuing other interests and hobbies.

Yeah that's what I did last year, I started studying and realized I coudn't work as well as continue studying for a degree unless I moved onto campus (no way).

OP, I'm the same age as you, and I'm also having a mid-life-career crisis. I can't imagine doing another 20 years in the field I'm current in. My current field has on plus: no age discrimination. Nothing else.

I'm enrolled in a Masters Degree program now. Most Masters degree programs are now completely online. Still, as soon as I get home from work, I sit at my computer for a couple of hours a night. It sucks up most of my non-work time, and I've gained weight.

You are doing pretty well if it only takes a couple of hours study each night.

Spill the field R18

OP - your best bet would be to change to a related field, rather than a complete career change.

What do you currently do and in what is your current degree? You'd be surprised at how many fields are sufficiently similar to be able to leverage existing skills, but different enough to afford both new challenges and career growth.

Graphic design. Art.

Unless you have an extremely high performance (math) IQ, and a great deal of understanding of computer science and programming, you’re wasting time.

If you are attractive and personable, technical sales is a great option.

What R5, R23, and R10 said are true. Also there are lots of people even in Australia who have IT degrees or certifications.

Do you know anyone who works in IT?

OP you'll want to train in something that doesn't have a lot of young people doing it, so you should avoid AWS. Maybe you could do Azure Cloud if you want to go Microsoft, or VMWare if you want to go IBM. You could also train to be a QA Engineer, they know programming and design functional and unit tests for pieces of software code. You'll find that the older tech companies like IBM will hire you more readily than hot new startups, because they seem to respect older people more. Ignore all the other people on this thread who don't know what they are talking about.

Oh, you should train and get a certification or two. Most of the cloud providers offer them, and the networks usually have information on who's hiring people with x or y certification. You can also work for an outsourcing company and gain some experience on the random jobs that often turn into full time hires, but that type of work can be a bit soul-destroying as you're essentially a disposable employee.

OP, no offense, but it's more likely that you become a millionaire selling homemade stuff on etsy than start a financially viable career (as in steady employment or any employment at all) in the IT business at your age.

I meet people in IT through hookups and they say I could get a job with a two year IT diploma.

...just wondering why it gets the age barrier reputation.

if you are that old and still working in IT it means you don't have the talent, or drive, to come up with your own app or platform to become a billionaire. And when you do start your IT career late in life you'll be the odd man out in the IT version of high school where there are all sorts of same interest groups, packs, and inner circles no outsider is worthy to enter.

The problem with IT is not being a dead end, the problem is outsourcing. I lost two very well paying IT jobs because the companies outsourced it to India. It's a lot and I mean a LOT less expensive to send it to India and hire a college kid to take care of the day to day minor things. The college kid gets school credit and a little bit more than minimum wage and anything major is dialed in and paid for by the hour.

On the flip side, I've made a boatload of money by doing jobs for myself and consulting. So there are pluses and minuses.

IT isn't a dead end job but unfortunately, you are far too old for it now.

If you had worked your way up it would have been different but they won't hire you as a starter at your age. All companies look for young techy, dynamic, grew up on technology 20 somethings for the jobs that aren't outsourced. You won't get a look in if you don't have years of experience behind you and even then you wouldn't

Finding a new direction is a fantastic and correct thing to do but IT is not it - it's just not a realistic plan. Find something else.

OP - I'm Australian too and I know exactly what you mean by age discrimination but MATE! IT is a particularly bad field to select. How about something adjacent? If you are technical (I assume you are if you want to work in IT) and if you are an artist and graphic designer - how about learning to use Adobe After Effects, Adobe Captivate, Articulate Storyline 360 and making eLearning, training materials and videos? That's something that is perfect for 45 plus and there are agencies that will hire you to work from home. Get a portfolio together and self-teach yourself those software programs. That's what I do and earn $640 per day and am in demand.

Otherwise the aged care industry is massive at the moment here. Good luck!

R4, I have great admiration for people in the medical field. Did or do you find there was much of an emotional adjustment required? I'm assuming that you've had patients who didn't make it.

Oh dear OP @ R28. Just noticed that comment. Your hookups aren't being honest with you or they don't have any clue of the market. FFS.

Let's be blunt - the only reason you would get an IT role at your age/lack of experience is if you have something very sought after and very appealing/special to offer. Do you?

Sorry to be a cunt but you actually sound like a bit of a dullard so I'm guessing not. There are too many IT jobs taken by #457 visa workers here.

I suggest Aged Care. Lots of fantastic TAFE courses you can do and lots of opportunities to gain experience and work your way up the ladder with our aging population.

Stripper - personal trainer. Live in a van, and mail bomb your enemies as a hobby.

why is there no aussie porn?

Op have you considered getting a Masters in Design Management? I was a Design Manager for Unilever now happily retired. When I entered the field a masters degree wasn’t required but it is now. It would be a related field for you.

Do you think this is the 1980s R37?

What is Design Management?

I'll look into it R38. Cheers

Why would you spend thousands on a masters degree at 48 years old?

No I don't intend to study at Masters level. Not for IT.

A masters in Design is worth considering at 48.

If you have the aptitude and knack for learning IT, perhaps you can transition by having a second job doing contract work. Once you gain experience, it may be easier to change fields.

I was a banker in NYC up until my early 40s. I couldn't take it any longer and decided to take a year off and apply to law school. I left NYC for the Midwest for 3 years and had a great time discovering another part of the country. I loved the study of law in the classroom, but as a graduate in my mid 40s the big money jobs in the private sector were not a possibility. I returned to NYC and settled for a career in the public sector and now enjoy a normal work week with wonderful health care and benefits. This is a great way to work when you are in your 50s and 60s. I feel fortunate that it worked out this way.

If you don't care for law, you can get a Masters in social work and do the same thing, especially if you are in a large urban area.

R45 would you advise me to stay with my government job? I am 48, but my job is routine and very boring. I was in the private sector for a long time and been with the government only for 2 years. But I cannot see myself doing this job. I have a company interested in my qualifications and want me to move to the bay area. I am contemplating the move but I also feel I have a great work-life balance now. What would you say?

R46. Discuss with friends/family but think long term. Do you have good hours? good health care? good retirement benefits? union protection for layoffs? If so, please weigh all of this into the equation because who knows if the country/world will be in a global recession anytime soon. Private sector jobs do not last in tough times and you could find yourself in trouble. Private sector jobs have more stress that come with the prestige and excitement. The competition amongst your co-workers is relentless. My job is not exciting, but I am glad to have it.

ESL

I wish I knew what to do next. I'm tired of freelancing and want to go back to a structured workforce.

What sort of freelancing do you do R49?

Jack of all trades R50. I have a background in banking and insurance, but have also done technical writing. I created study content for a textbook, have done some feature writing.....

Have you any ideas about what to do next?

Try sex worker.

[quote] Have you any ideas about what to do next?

No, and that's the problem.

Go into transgender studies at a university.

Age is a killer. I'm 50 year attorney, and I've worked for myself for past 10 years. I am completely unemployable in the private sector. No one wants someone my age especially who has been self-employed. My only hope is continued success on my own, or law-paying government gigs.

I think you'd be brilliant.

Shady Pines needs someone to create a database for their billing department.

I saw a communication specialist job for a nursing home. Seemed really good.

Masters of Social Work will get you a $15/Hr job these days...

R60 Saving the world never pays. Bartenders make more than teachers. Lawyers for trees make a fraction of what the polluter's lawyers do, etc.

Every job is a dead end job these days.

I'd stay away from computers if I were you. They'll never catch on.

good luck to you op!

IBM in the US has gotten into trouble recently for pushing out everyone over 40 with take it or leave transfers.

I'm 49 and in IT, but I've been in this field since my 20s and have gotten most of my jobs through connections made over the years, but yeah ageism is standard in IT. Why pay an older person more money than pay a younger person less money. The only hope is the perception that younger folks have no work ethic.

One thing no one here's mentioned is automation / machine language learning is taking over a lot of entry level IT jobs, plus larger companies, such as Cisco and IBM are branching into selling subscription services for maintenance of their product line, which is also hastening the dirge of entry level IT jobs.

I'm planning to only work a few more years. I've managed to save a bit of money, buy a few rental properties and have been tracking and cutting back on my expenses and trying to improve my health. I also have a backup plan to move to Portugal (I'm a dual citizen, US and Portugal), where the cost of living is much less and there's universal health care.

Getting old is not for the weak.

I was in IT for years. I grew to hate it and the people I “supported” in Financial Services.

In my early 40’s, a friend of mine got me a job in a NYC casting office. Loved it immediately and never looked back. Bunch of cunts in this industry too, but if someone is too cunty to me I just don’t put them up for a job. Guess that makes me cunty too.

R66, you can use their universal health care even you have been living in the USA all this time? did you pay into Portugal's health system via taxes? Or are you entitled just because you're a citizen?

OP you must stick them with quills; it is the only way!!

R69 Only if I can make it more lucrative. R64 Thanks.

Same boat, female turning 40 and no career path. I was a director and manager in marketing/PR in my 20’s then I just burnt out and grew more introverted. What followed: freelance career, writing, healthcare, banking, government jobs, temping.. Now I haven’t got a clue. I’m interested in the elder care market a few people mentioned above (any more info?) or thought about the marijuana industry. Real estate? There’s no way I would undertake schooling at this point. This thread is making me realize age discrimination is now part of my world. Good luck OP.

I am in a similiar situation. I am early 50s. I wish I could return to school (community college?) And then go into a heaith care related field, or do what I really wanted to do with my life and be a teacher ar the high school level. I am most interested in the natural sciences. I did not study this when younger because the math and science teachers I had were very homophobic. I was advised to not go into education. I excell in languagues rather than math. I could see being an ESL teacher. I was told once that NYC schools were in such need for Spanish speaking teachers that as long as you had a degree in something and spoke the language they would hire you. Is this still true? I took several terms of Spanish and like. I did extremely well, all A grades. Language teachers love me, even if math and science teachers do not. I find languages very easy to learn, much more so than math and science. I retain that knowledge for years. I am so afraid of age discrimination I froze and have done nothing. I must do something, NOW.

Study environmental education in Chile or Mexico, R72?

I'm 55, own 5 rental properties outright, take income in what 600K investment delivers at 6%, and I can't find employment in my field (marketing/advertising). I thank God I have it as good as I do, but as the Dow falls and my life gets smaller and smaller, I have no idea what to do. I'm becoming desperate. And lonely.

How is it renting property? I’ve considered it.

After decades working in bank operations (mainly data analysis and fraud investigation), I am transferring my data skills to a career in Cancer Registry, which is basically database management of cancer data. It is a fairly new healthcare field. I have a bachelor's degree and already completed some allied health courses as prerequisites, so I only need a certificate. My courses are 100% online, with a required practicum at the end of training. I consulted people working in CR and they all said there is little age discrimination, because there aren't enough qualified people to fill open positions. I hope this is still true by early 2020.

R79 it's great but the key is that you have to own the rental properties free and clear. In my case I liquidated 1/2 of my savings and bought 5 single family homes outright. It's a living.

R77, may I ask which state you're in?

R78, we just moved to Ohio. I want to return to Philadelphia. I could attend Temple University. Somehow, I feel this would offer more educational opportunities.

We are in the Toledo area to be exact.

That's good R76.

Do you really want to spend the second half of your life with IT garbage?

R82 It isn't a passion, just a potential means to an end. Generally the people I meet on decent incomes are working in unsexy jobs.

Unsexy jobs can take years off your life.

It's depressing but better than struggling to pay bills.

Have you considered a second job? Something enjoyable?

Yes, I'm applying for various jobs but not having much luck and I keep seeing programming jobs that are well paid but need some sort of portfolio and certification. The highest paid ones ask for a degree but the middle rung job ads are more about skill set. I could beef up my skills with a relatively cheap certificate course instead of a Master degree in IT. It would be much more fun workwise to make YouTube videos or be an actor or musician of course.

You could do ASMR videos on youtube. Like, eating sounds.

Soothy YouTube videos are quite wonderful.

r77, I am in St Pete, FLA

I got lucky enough to get OUT of IT. When you work in IT you work with every fucking nut job you could in the department and out of the department. Plus I worked for DARPA so my work environment was more than a little better than for most IT pros. Fortunately my best friend from college is a rich bitch. She owns a bunch of high end rentals and she hated dealing with them. So I became her property manager. LOVE IT. After 7 years of IT I was ready to kill myself. It was soul crushing. On Sunday nights I would be close to crying as I watched Monday ticktock closer.

I would love for a Datalounger to start DataLoungeASMR. Eating McDonald’s, Burger King, typing on the keyboard posting on DL, whisperering “you’re blocked”, “FF’d”, “Enough”, “Oh dear”. Pleasantries to my ears.

I dunno R29, but it's real. A friend, a retired Army veteran who has crazy IT skills in security, mapping technologies, and translation, is part of a class action against Apple and one of its hiring agencies because, after working for them for 6 years as a programmer in Austin, they repeatedly refused to hire him on as a regular employee. He said he applied for over 30 positions for which he was qualified. Then one day, they told him in response to an application that he was ineligible to apply for new Apple positions for 2 years. He often had to train the new hires, who despite being higher than him in the food chain, were as he said 100% under-30s, new grads, many without any prior work experience.

IT is brutal. I have 2 close friends who are in it and they spend all their free time looking for ways to get out

R74 I have 5 investment properties and 600K in a portfolio and the current stock market performance got me worried enough to get a job for 2-4 years.

So hopefully you don't feel so alone.

R68 I've had relatives with dual citizenship travel to Portugal and they were able to get cheap subsidized healthcare by nature of being a citizen, despite not having contributed taxes.

Have you ever worked with anything...high tech?

ITT tech Bro - shooor

R95 how did you get work? Is this recent?

You don't have to speak any other languages to teach ESL.

you can teach English online.

R98

I got this my recent job, this past February through a posting on LinkedIn. I had to take a pay cut, but I work from home and the area I moved to (southeastern MA), is much cheaper than the SF Bay Area, where I previously lived. Maybe I interview well?

A friend/former co-worker did remark that I seem to never have trouble finding work, though; I guess I've just taken that for granted. [Hooray for being a white male.] I've got a pretty good CV with some well known companies listed in it and have usually worked 3-5 years at each job/company which seems relatively stable for IT.

You know what's a great, lucrative job w fantastic benefits? Government. Esp an elected official. That's why people put up with the campaign b.s.

My cousin decided to study nursing in her mid 40s (after her kids were grown). Now in her 50s, she makes $120,000 a year as a cardiac surgery nurse. $120,000 goes quite far in Northern Florida.

R25 You clearly haven’t worked in this field. IBM has it’s own cloud, and isn’t hiring VMWare engineers, which is a competitors. IBM also outsources more jobs to India, where it hires twice as many workers as it does in the US.

As a former IBM engineer, I kindly suggest you get a big bag of STFU.

OP, I worked as Database Administrator in Boston until 2010. My salary was about $110,000 per year plus bonus that might come to $150,000, but I was underpaid. (I job hopped a lot from 2004-2010 and felt it more important to land a new job, than to ask for more money.) It’s a good job if you have an analytical mind.

There is a few downsides. First, some of the work Is being offshores to India. Some is given to H1B visa holders. If you were to pass through the commuter rail station in downtown Boston at rush hour, you might think you’re in Bombay. There’s not much you can do to defend against that.

The other problem is one you might not anticipate: computer systems are usually upgraded at a time that they are least used. That means overnight, and especially holiday weekends. I worked most President’s Day weekends, for example. This means you need to have the stamina to stay up for 24 hours and still think on your feet. Also, you can expect to be oncall. That means you’ll be woken-up on a regular basis at 2 am with God-only-knows-what problem. To this day, the sound of a pager makes my heart race.

I made enough to retire early. I had noticed that my co-workers were generally younger people, up to 40ish. I don’t know where the older DBAs went. It’s an awfully lucrative field to give up, but it seems like people did that.

If you chose this path, it might be more worth it to skip the Masters program and instead take classes offered by, for example, Oracle. They offer certificates identifying you as having mastered some aspect of their software, once you do. That would be more impressive to put on your resume, than a masters. (I have a masters, but no such certificate.)

Good luck!

R104 fuck off you idiot. Grammatically challenged fucker.

I hear a lot about age discrimination in jobs, but I really haven't seen it in practice. I've seen a lot of people in their 50's and 60's in management positions. I work in accounting so I've been part of many different industries, including insurance, real estate, retail and health care. Is it because my state has the second lowest unemployment rate after North Dakota? I feel like I should be worried since I just turned 40, but it just doesn't seem to be my realty.

Age 40 is the point to be protected against age discrimination. But, people are too smart today to ever say “we are firing you because you are too old. They’ll just say, ‘sorry, it’s a “RIF”’.

What state do you live in, r107? What field are you employed?

R109 Nebraska and accounting

R110, would you advise someone to enter accounting if they were in their mid fifties? I have an associates with all A grades.

R72, what sort of work do you currently do? What jobs have you held in the past? Anyone can transition to teaching, but it's important to come up with a narrative arc for your career so that you can communicate to others (and to yourself!) why you're making the change.

For what it's worth, I think public school jobs are a shrewd career choice these days. Will they make anyone rich? Absolutely not. However, they offer the best set of benefits I've ever found: excellent health care, good-to-great retirement options (especially if you live in a state that still offers a decent pension plan), union protection (you never have to be afraid to call in sick, take necessary medical leave, etc.), and VACATION. I can't say enough about the value of having time off at holidays and in the summer.

I love working in public schools for many reasons, but I'll be completely honest here on DL: A big part of the reason I chose this career is because I have a side interest ("interest" is perhaps too mild; "passion" or even "obsession" are closer to the mark) in Spanish and French, and public schools are the only employers that give me what I consider to be adequate time off in the summer for traveling and studying. If someone offered me a $200,000 a year job with only three weeks of vacation, I would decline it. I find a public school salary perfectly sufficient for all of my needs and wants. More money wouldn't increase my happiness; for me, happiness comes from intellectual freedom (which a secure, union-protected job will give you) and time to myself.

And, yes, ESL teachers (as well as teachers of Spanish as a foreign language and elementary school teachers who are qualified to teach in dual-language classrooms) are on the higher-demand end of the spectrum. If you excel at languages, and enjoy Spanish, in particular, I would urge you to take the time to learn more about what you might need to land a public school job.

Good luck to you, and happy Thanksgiving!

R106. That all you got? Seriously? Nothing to back up your hand-waving assertions?

I have 40 years in this field, mostly in the information in security. You don’t know shit and really should go away. Your only contributions have been copy&paste from web sites with no actual experience.

So hey - go back to your dildo collection, ya knob.

I don't mean to insult or start a flame ware. But in your mid fifties shouldn't you be winding down and getting ready to retire?

R108. Right. That protection has a high standard of evidence to demonstrate that age was a factor, especially in hiring. Ads frequently include language like “recent college graduates encouraged to apply”. Employers typically engage in on campus recruiting and don’t post positions publicly.

When hiring, they they simultaneously include language for speccific degrees, which have only been granted in the last ten years with specific course types and relevant work. This includes degrees in Computer Security along with 5 years experience in computer security at the CISSP or CAP level.

That excludes anybody who’s a recent graduate as well as anyone who’s trying to move into a new field after 40 without related experience.

[QUOTE]But in your mid fifties shouldn't you be winding down and getting ready to retire?

In my mid fifties is when I started my own business, working harder than ever and happier too.

You can get an IT job in government. I've had two government jobs where an IT department helped us when we had computer problems. The IT department (both times) had between 5 to 10 workers, male and female, a range of ages. To me, it seemed like a cool job, but I think the pay may have been low.

R76- What Country/state are you in? How did you get trained in that field?

R118 - I found a list of accredited Associate Degree and Certificate programs on the website for the National Cancer Registrars Association. Many of the programs are offered 100% online. I added the link below. Most jobs require NCRA certification.

I reside in Phoenix - can't really call it living LOL. Arizona has some world-class cancer facilities - including two Mayo Clinics - but no Cancer Registry training program. I started my core courses in September.

What attracted me to this field, besides being a data geek: job security, apparent lack of ageism, and the high potential for telecommuting. I don't want to spend many more years in Phoenix. So far, CR appears compelling enough that I may want to continue working after I reach retirement age of 67, which is over ten years away.

R117 That’s a great idea. Right now there’s high demand for military veterans who apply. It’s definitely a front-of-the-line situation for all veteran’s, but Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are nearly assured of getting hired with qualification, regardless of age.

R114 Personally, I'd rather be working in my fifties and sixties than "looking for friends" in the gay app world.

R112, a great big thank you. Passion for what I love means more to me than money. I understand you completely.

R111 that's a hard one! I feel like with only a Bachelor's and not a Master's it's harder these days to get the really good jobs. I started college in 1996 and they changed the CPA requirement to a master's in 1998 and I had no desire to do that. While I have decent enough paying jobs I've never seen them as highly lucrative. What I have done in my career are things that people without my degree have kind of just fallen into somehow, or they've only had an associates. They've also said that the non CPA accounting job have really lowered in pay because of this throughout the years. If I had to do one thing differently I would have always worked for bigger companies, better training, technology and opportunities for advancement. Plus they generally pay better and have good benefits. I wanted too much time working for small companies. I'd say get in touch with a recruiting agency that specializes in Accounting and she what kind of options they have available for you.

*wasted not wanted

If we're OP, had graphic design and art experience, and wanted to enter IT, I'd look into learning a program like Blender and learn how to do cgi for video games.

Much easier transition with a logical and explicable rationale for switching.

I've been looking into that as well R125, and I know a fair bit of how Blender works in theory rather than practice. There is a heck of a lot to learn in doing 3D competitively. I actually was thinking IT would be less demanding and easier to find paid work.

R123 - accounting jobs that don’t require extensive MD&A writing or professional sign-off are basically being outsourced to India, Philippines, and Poland, etc. Eventually AI will replace those.

Typist?

Stripper/typist!

Also the Blender community is full of quite young hobbyists and they post their portfolios on peer reviewed websites. The boards aren't age verified and I'd prefer to not communicate with people who are under the age of consent.

I am in my early 40s, and I know that reinventing myself down the road will be the biggest challenge of my life. I work in a rather ageist business (media) and know that the party will end sooner than later. I save money like a maniac, but know life can throw you curveballs so you can never save enough. Beyond the fiscal stress of being rendered obsolete by my own industry, there is excitement at the thought of a second act that would mean more gratification if not a staggering pay cut. I wish everyone trying to figure out the back nine on this thread good luck! It doesn’t seem easy.

Yeah, I know. I am trying to break into the IT world myself in big data and am in my early 40’s and it’s hard

R131 I'm in media too but figure any job I get outside of it will mean a pay raise! Hit the wall at my job a few years ago and burning out quick. I always said NEVER but now working for a hospital or in elder care (admin, not the care end) seems to be a good path.

Thanks for these suggestions people.

IT is not a dead end as long as you learn the right skills. The basic admin skills, level 1, level 2 support can be outsourced. You want to go into programming. Json/python/html5. The best way in is to get a certification. Udemy sells an AWS cert course for 10 bucks. You can take it at your leasure and probably pass the test. Cybersecurity is a huge field since no company wants to outsource their security and every state has their own security rules on what needs to be encrypted. You can get a self taught CISSP course and take the test. CISSPs will get you in the door most everywhere as a IS professional. Starting salary for IS pros is about 80K