I had a very similar experience. I spent the first chunk of my working life (>10 years), working in bars, night clubs and restaurants. I was good at getting jo

I had a very similar experience. I spent the first chunk of my working life (>10 years), working in bars, night clubs and restaurants. I was good at getting jobs and frequently quit them. All I cared about was taking drugs, chasing girls and playing with technology. I ended up getting married and my wife supported me for 9 months whilst I learned Drupal and PHP. During that time I started a Drupal meetup and met lots of other developers. One of those developers told me her company was looking for a contractor, so I applied for the job. The same girl took my resume from the bottom of the pile and put it at the top. I was invited to interview. Two of us passed the interview and were asked to do a test. The other guy was a very experienced contractor, but he refused to do tests on a matter of principle, leaving me as the only candidate. I went from £6.50 an hour (minimum wage) to £300 / day. It was utterly life changing. Still working as a developer 12 years later.