I'm actually surprise of how many people is impressed by this. I have been using google's assistant technology for a while now. It's amazing! I just wish they release the new voice ASAP! This is what you can do with it:
https://vimeo.com/251603335
First, stop using the word hobby! If it's an hobby it's an hobby, if it's a profession you have to be professional!
Second, the way you are describing your experience doesn't really help you. It's too vague. Describe instead the problems you have faced. How did you solve them? What kind of value were you able to add to the entire system? (more stable, faster,...)
Hiring someone is an investment and a commitment. To pass the investment part you have to prove your skills, your ability to solve problems, your personal motivation and your growth potentiality.
The commitment part is more subtle and complicated. It mostly applies to the employer and it would take this conversation too far away. To keep it simple I can tell you that is very very important to get information about the company you are interviewing for. Try to think which challenges they may be facing and ask about these challenges during the interview. Think to possible solutions to these problems and discuss that with them. Don't worry about being right, nobody would expect you to know exactly the problem a company is facing but it would show vision and initiative on your side.
Last suggestion, you say "I know what I'm doing but...". No you don't, you would have a job already. Keep pushing. Do not fall in the stupid trap of thinking that the world is against you. I don't know you but I've been around the world many times. I can tell you that you can make it. Don't give up and keep working on your skills!
Old and stale. A system build to trap big companies with deep pockets. It's a super efficient business model and the system works but the vision behind the platform is too much 1985, even today.
The way companies around the globe are making and managing business has changed. Even big companies are (slowly) changing.
My suggestion is to stop for a second thinking about the fact that you are broke. It's the easiest problem to solve (unless you need 2 billion dollars).
In my opinion the first thing you need is a clear understanding of what your goal is. Why do you want to be a linux admin? What do you like about it? What makes you say, "I want to spend my life configuring linux systems"?
If answering these questions requires more than 1 minute of your time, you are probably on the wrong direction.
Whatever you decide to do this is my advise. First, use internet. There are amazing tutorials out there for anything you want to learn. Find something that you enjoy and that makes you feel good. Experiment and "taste", the more you explore the easier will be for you to understand what you want.
Keep your job or find another job to cover your expenses. This means you have to work hard because probably you will have to study at night. I've been there, it's tough but at the same time you'll feel alive, I promise.
Learn and practice! This is specially important in computer science. Build something then try to find a way to break it. Once you broke it, build it again!
Go to meetups for people in the same field you choose. You'll learn a lot. You'll be able to start networking but mostly, you'll be able to measure your preparation and this will tell you when is time to start searching for a job.
Searching for a job won't be easy with no academic preparation. Start from the bottom and don't think about salary. For you is much more important to get hired than a good salary. Remember, you need to get hired once to be in the game!
I hired a PHP developer with a similar story as yours few years ago. I took extra steps to understand his preparation but at the end I couldn't ignore the effort and the commitment that this guy put into his preparation. Today he is a valuable component of my team and he makes me very proud of what he has accomplished.
