You can do it! You just have to start. No one on Earth can stop you from learning what you want to learn.
Don't worry about certifications, dig into the information on your own time. Do it at night, or in the morning, when everyone else is sleeping. Buy some old, broken or used controls and mess around with automating something in your house.
Once you start taking action that convinces you that the day job you hate is temporary, you'll be shocked at how much more bearable every single thing becomes.
I like the positive energy, but this is not a practical solution.
For more context, I work a lot of over-time at my current (US) job. Outside of work, I have a home and family to take care of.
Time is an expensive commodity in my world. Don't get me wrong, I am self-taught in a lot if areas, but there are some areas where structured learning is better, especially when it comes to being endorsed (certs, diplomas, etc).
Money is also an issue. About 80% of my wife's and mine combined income goes to debt (credit cards, loans, kid's schooling, etc) and the rest goes into our gas tanks or bellies. The US economy is not friendly to people who started off lower-income, and sadly, positive vibes don't help change that.
We're realistic, not looking to get rich. But do I have the brains to do better? I believe so. Convincing a potential employer of that is impossible without backing, and if you're at the bottom, getting that backing is MASSIVELY difficult.
Another comment mentioned that networking in the industry is key, and I do need to do more of that. I suppose it is time to reactivate my LinkdIn, something that seamed like another superfluous Facebook back when I first made the account.
Anyway, positivity is important, but it is not a solution. I do my best on that front, but it gets harder as I get older and less marketable.
But...I'm not saying either of those things. Both are extreme positions. If you read my original post, I'm looking for a company that can take me on and help me get to that next level while I work for them (aka "investing in its people"). They exist, but the barriers to entry are tricky to navigate, hence why I asked for advice from someone in the field.
Sweeping ideas about blanket positivity are not practical solutions, so the previous comment (and, by extension, yours) are pretty unhelpful.
Don't worry about certifications, dig into the information on your own time. Do it at night, or in the morning, when everyone else is sleeping. Buy some old, broken or used controls and mess around with automating something in your house.
Once you start taking action that convinces you that the day job you hate is temporary, you'll be shocked at how much more bearable every single thing becomes.