data center DASD techs (for storage in data centers), software specialists, literally hundreds of jobs in the IT arena. Other fields I'm sure are the same way (I am guessing). Some certifications are required by companies hiring people. Some unions require them. Some states require them for air conditioning and heating specialists, and the list goes on and on.

Of course there is the usual BS tech certifications like all fields have, perhaps you have some in mind?

It's to satisfy a job requirement, but committing things to memory is kind of dumb esp in this day and age. Besides, things change all of the time. What you master today is totally obsolete in six months.

the code and look it up. The data is on the Abend report, so you have the offending data element(s) that caused the abend, and then go fix it (or the program to handle it). Thanks for clarifying. I was wondering what you meant.

And by the way, in IT, it was like a total change over every two years in all of the software / hardware, so it was a total learning environment every second of every day for my entire career (40+ years).

It's good fluff for your resume, if you need it...

My plan is to stack a whole bunch of certs, do some portfolio projects, people network, etc. Then hope to find a consulting gig here or there. My ultimate goal is to somehow leave the US entirely. This place is about to collapse.

In the unlikely event you ever get found out, so what?

Elon has given permission to the entire tech industry to be openly racist.