I could suggest this: get an old pc, and install linux from a ISO file you can burn onto cd on your windows machine.
it will be kinda a second learning desktop
Then learn linux and or programming like perl python ruby php and or database like mysql or postgresql.
any one of those skills has dozens of jobs on dice.com for 100k+
centos is the most common one in industry
one mroe tip is dont use wireless as its kinda harder on linux, if you can plug the ethernet cable into the linux desktop.