[saalweachter]

My main advice would be to caution that most of the advice you're going to get is pretty hit-and-miss; even if some of us have done smart things to improve our life, we usually also got lucky along the way, which can be hard to replicate.

A critical turning point in my life was joining a web comic's forum in '01, which led to an IRC chat room which was eventually distilled down to a dozen-ish people around my age who were all interested in programming, among other things. I got an interview for my first real job through a friend made in that chat room.

Which is why my other advice is to "network", by which I mean, "make friends on the internet". The sad truth is that knowing the right people matters. Some people inherit a great network, the people their parents know, some people get a network by going to college or joining a fraternity. Not having a good network is something that really holds you back, way more than not having a perfect resume. But the internet gives you at least a chance to find some people you would otherwise never meet, make friends, and if you're lucky, they're good programmers at companies that are hiring, and they'll feel comfortable saying, "Hey, I know this person, they're not an asshole and they seem to know their stuff", and you'll have a shot. Not having a degree or an impressive resume will hurt you, but a lot of start ups have trouble finding good programmers and won't care as long as you can do the work.