Damn I really needed this today. I've been stuck in such a rut lately. I don't have a situation quite the same as yours, but it's the same in the ways that matt

Damn I really needed this today. I've been stuck in such a rut lately. I don't have a situation quite the same as yours, but it's the same in the ways that matter: I feel stuck and I just want to leave the prison. I don't really know what to do. I have tons of skills, across multiple domains/industries, yet I can't seem to get a job. I'm in that weird middle ground of having too much experience for entry-level positions but not enough for anything more. Employers literally won't give me the time of day, and I'm decently certain it's not my appearance or attitude in the interview (could be wrong, but it doesn't seem that way). I've had several potential employers comment that they'd hire me but they don't see why someone with my experience would be after such a mindless position. I need money to live is why. Then I apply for the higher positions, and they don't like the fact that I don't have a degree or employment history in that field. I do work, I'm a carpenter aside from being a hobbyist sysadmin/programmer, but it's drying up. People don't have dispensable income anymore and aren't having work done. When they do have work done they want the absolute minimum to save on time and money (my paycheck). Two years ago I had to tell people they'd have to wait a month or two before I could start on their job, now they have to tell me we can't start today. We used to talk about "where are we meeting tomorrow", now we ask "are we working tomorrow". On the other hand, I'm making progress learning how to do sysadmin and programming stuff. It's kind of it's own little prison. Why am I even doing it? Should I just focus on my current "career" and be a better carpenter, or should I realize the loss and focus on becoming a tech wizard instead. I'm at the point where I want to start setting up servers and whatnot, but is that a wise investment in my current situation? A homelab is basically a resume, so it could help me land a good job, but it could also just financially ruin me even further. Sorry to make this about myself, just felt very relatable.