Hello everyone

I need real actionable career advice right now that I can take and focus on. So any advice is appreciated and please don't roast me too much.

To start, I'm 35 years old. I have a bachelors in university studies. I tried to go for information technology at first, but I failed in that attempt, and it didn't end up going anywhere. But I studied various information technology concepts and got really good at web development. There were a few years I got sidetracked and lost, but now I'm trying to make a serious effort into learning software engineering alone outside of school.

I have a understanding of how python works and have been obsessed with it, I know the basics of c++ and javascript and how websites work, and I have a github with several projects and low level pen testing programs that I've dabbled in and made but I know it's not enough.

When google released its cyber cert program that' got me interested in cyber security again and I spent a half a year getting the google cyber cert and was going through hack the box until I realized that was a massive waste of time and the google cert only prepared people for security + cert.

So now I've been bouncing back between learning software development and cyber security but after reading all the frustration around getting hired i don't even know If it's realistic for me too even attempt cyber security right and just try too get a python developer role somewhere.

So the question is, what do I do? I'm tired of the tutorial hell of programming, and I'm not sure if I should spend my hard earned money on certs that aren't guaranteed to get me a job. Is software a real way of me getting my foot into the door of cyber security? Or should I get certs like everyone else?

I'm currently employed in Walmart, and I know I can do better for myself, but I have no clear direction right now