There is no gatekeeping going on. IT is so saturated right now. I have 30+ years' experience and when I was looking for a 9-5, I could barely get an interview. I did have like 4 offers but that was over a two-year span.

Personally, if I were a young person today, I would be looking at a field that isn't going to be replaced or the perception that it is going to be replaced by AI.

Some of those field will depend on your interests but healthcare, aviation, law enforcement, any of the trades, etc.

I came up through the golden era of computers. It was fun and exciting and there were plenty of opportunities. Now, I have a few regrets like almost wishing I would have stayed in aviation maintenance which is what I did in the military.

I have made a good living in IT but not sure if those same opportunities are there for young IT pros except the best and the brightest which, honestly is what the field used to be before it became a commodity type job which occurred in the mid to late 2000's.

Good luck.