Hey.
Basically, I need at least advice, but likely a lot more in that general vein.
I'll try to keep this as short as i can, because all the baggage could fill several commercial airplanes.
Me : Autistic but IT-gifted and *not* socially inept, always loved video games, computer stuff, mid-thirties white male from Europe, currently living on that tiny joke of an island that did a Brexit. Also have Aphantasia (Literal lack of visual imagination)
Problems : Totally ruined education that was never steered back on track when parents were around, leading to basically no jobs, leading to crap barren CV, leading to *less* jobs because I look lazy and stupid. I'm only one of those, your choice which :-P. Learning disability where bad explanations severely confuse me and tangle my brain up and give me anxiety – slow learner but monstrously streamlined when I do learn something.
Hypothesis : I know I should do *something* regarding to my strengths, but I can't figure out what to try. For years, I've been paralyzed by the time and money investment required to even *attempt* to learn something, only for it to be saturated, or people to ignore me entirely . (I got a high end IT Security specialist cert that got *utterly* ignored for 3 years, so not unfounded). I feel like the IT sector is fairly secure and growing, so my job security wouldn't be awful. The pay is usually pretty good due to the complexity or requirements of these jobs, which I feel I would mesh with – the autism makes me vicious in pursuing data and catching anomalies – but I have no formal training. I've thought about *maybe* indie game dev, *maybe* learning Fruity Loops for DAW work music composition but I just. I don't know.
Layered problem : I want to get going on *a path*, because right exactly now, our financial situation is stable. But the time where that will not be the case could be 24 hours away, 24 weeks away, 24 months away. It's coming. I can't give details, but this is unavoidable. This invisible timer means that before it hits, I'd really like to at least be rolling with something I'm strong at and getting some kind of money from it – because like anyone else, I don't want to be the anchor that drags me and my partner down into the depths. This is a *terrifying*thought that has been a problem for a long time for me.
Question 1 : Those in the IT field, replying here or DMing in private, can you explain some specifics of your job, especially around the ITSec area? I'd like to know what area of ITSec to target (There are a few distinct ones) based on my strengths and requirements of the job? I'm unable to conceptualize just on titles and keybuzz words what might be required, and the last thing I want is to invest 1-3 years and find out this kills my brain in a live environment >.>;.
Question 2 : I've lived and breathed video games since I was four years old on the old C64, through the golden days of X286-386-486 processors with Theme Park, the OG X-com game, Incredible Machine, etc – all the way to modern times where I partake in heavy AAA games (not a trend chaser) and Indies equally. In theory I have vast amounts of untapped game design experience, but the game industry is..you know. Not fantastic to work in right now. I also suspect I would likely need to start as a heavily overworked Q&A tester with no promise of ladder climbing and not fantastic pay. (But I'd know what I'm doing and it's something..)
“The plan” so far : now that I quit my last job, I want to focus on CSS after HTML, and then tack on Java for pooping out websites for insane cash (Total industry beginner can easily ask for 15 gbp an hour, or 50% over the min wage, a ten year veteran can ask for 4-5 times that, per hour). Either I mainline this under a company umbrella or try freelancing do it as a side-thing in times like these where I could have *some* income as opposed to *no* income. This feels like a bandaid for a sinking ship, rather than a sturdy piece of wood, if you get what I mean. Giggidy. (Sorry).
Happy to answer additional relevant questions.
I basically just want a plan. I want to consider factors and maybe shakily decide on something I could do to support us.
I want more than that – to enable my girl, let her relax and enjoy life and thank her for *literally* rescuing me from dying a homeless person in a country that was not my own (Germany, at the time). She has given me years of love, attention and support, and while I have returned that in other – often major – ways, I want to give her some basic certainty, that we won't suddenly be forced to drastically alter our life just to survive…
Thank you.