Let me share something with you all. Before I get into discussion about IT related fields. I think I post it somewhere, I work with IT industries for over 30 years, (starting back in 1978 Senior year in HS) Then I went into college and graduated BS degree in Computer Science. Now, I landed a job with IT related and I always keeping eyes out about any hot topics related to IT jobs. Like talking about Novell server and MS server will become popular fields to work with. So, I took advantage to have the company to pay for my courses that I took. And then later talking about network engineering and I took a courses for that, then later, IT security, I took a courses for that. Then Cisco certifications becoming popular. You know get the idea of how it changed with new hot IT technologies? So, with my motivations and ambitions and the companies see me as impressive. And finally I get to the point where I work as MIS (Management of Information Systems) and making 6 digits salary.
Now with may years of experiences, I found lot of thing that I do not work well with certain positions in the IT fields. As a programming job, it require lot of good writing skills and my grammars wasn't that great back then and I hate to write documentations but I do enjoyed programming. Then when I got into network engineering, it require two person communications to make things work. That is a big obstacle for me and now today technology that you can use VRS on mobile phone. I use it a lot now than ever in the past.
Now, this is going to be little off topic talking about VRS, many of my employees now start sending e-mail or texted to me to call him or her. All of them never call me directly. The only time they call me is from new employee and when new employee learned about VRS systems, they hate to wait for VRS to be available. So they decided to text me or e-mail me to have me call him or her...groan.... anyway...
ok back to the topic, then when I got into system administration, that fit me well and then grown to system engineer then to system security engineer and so on. I gain many certifications from it, MCSE, CCNA, CISSP, CCNP, RHCE, CAE and so on.
Now with the story above, It's imperative to get an IT degree from college (for younger people). Then you can take more courses while you are on the job. Then you can grow from there. It all depend on you how you want to do, some people prefer to stay in same positions and not advancing it at all. This is fine, it not a problem at all. Now for older people, it's best to take lot of courses and start with few certifications. Then when you are ready for job, best way to get a job is by networking with people (like what OP said). Also, it would be great idea is to get security clearance. There are many job opening that involved security clearance. You can land a job easily with security clearance.
So, right now the hot fields to work with are Security Engineers (Cyber intelligent Engineer or Network Security Engineer), Linux Administrator, Software Engineers (Java or C/C++), and MAD (Mobile Application Developers). Those positions are very hot out there especially with expanding smart phone technologies.
Now as far as Gaming goes, don't forget that it require sounds. You need to have good graphic skills with sound. Sound must sync perfectly with graphic. And that maybe hard for some deaf people out there. Sounds are critical roles to sell the products.
Just my thought to share.
I'm not that old, whippersnapper. :P
