> maybe the 90s was a different time
Yes. There was a great need for anyone with IT knowledge, and the demand was far greater than the available labour.
I remember in 98 I got a job in a (financial) brokerage, and the required skills were:
show up on time
don't leave before stock exchange closed
wear a clean shirt
be a nice to customers (all were affluent)
know how to use conditional formatting in Excel
know how to connect a PC to multiple screens
know how to place different spreadsheets/windows in those different screens