Food for thought in today’s market

I’ve been debating a topic with myself: the general consensus in IT is that skills pay the bills. In today’s market, let’s say you start from scratch, gain entry-level experience, and earn a few certifications in your chosen specialization. As you progress, how do you develop the skills needed to pick and choose your employer? It’s an employer’s market these days, where organizations prefer to poach talent rather than train it. Is it reasonable to say that in 2025, you have to take whatever job you can get?