I built a homelab and taught myself a lot from forums and books and tutorials. I had an in-person interview lined up after I passed a phone interview, but another company offered me a job and financially I couldn't take the risk. If I didn't take it and the Linux gig didn't pan out, I'd be in dire straits.

I'm still not a Linux Sysadmin, but I continue to use it for personal server stuff (the company that hired me was primarily a Windows shop). That was seven years ago and now I work at a state agency (would recommend; I might retire there).

I might try for the Linux team at my current org at some point in the future, but I really like my boss and job duties where I am now.