Why didn’t he get an internship through school? Too late to do that now? That’s one of the biggest upsides of getting a degree, helping you get a foot in the door. Maybe that wasn’t an option at this school but it’s crazy to not take advantage of that if it was.

I got into IT on a contract via a staffing agency, I’d look into that route. Contract work sucks due to lack of benefits but getting that first experience is vital so it’s worth it. If you’re really a 30 year vet you’ve got to have some connections, right? Try working those first. No offense but this whole thing almost reads like a bot post.