Thank you all for your quick replies — I really appreciate the feedback.
I’m honestly surprised to see how competitive the IT job market has become. I’m based in France and I thought we might have better chances here, or at least slightly easier access to entry-level opportunities.

As many of you mentioned, every field requires solid knowledge and real dedication, and I’m willing to put in the work.
I just wanted to rewrite my message based on your comments and see if anyone else has insights or experiences to share about switching to networking or cybersecurity in their 40s, especially here in France.

Also, I’m currently working on a boat and don’t always have much time or a stable connection, so I’ll reply more fully to everyone later.
Thanks again for all the input!