I'd be intimidated to work with him (due to the snarky attitude) if I weren't comfortable with technology stuff. But otherwise he might be entertaining to hire.
I'm a big believer in the idea that you make your life what you want it to be. If she were my friend (I'm female) and told me she wanted to change careers but is stuck where she is, I'd tell her that's a choice she's making. There are probably lots of things - small & large - she could do to begin changing her life, but they're not going to be easy. They're probably going to be a lot of work, it will suck for awhile, but she will have the satisfaction of knowing that she's working towards something that will make her life better/more satisfying/whatever.
Also, even if she hates her job, I'd tell her that every job teaches you something and the more you put it the more you can get out of any job. Tell her to focus on the positive - what can she get out of this job - and how are those little steps going to get her closer to whatever her end goal is?
I also think it's OK not to have a completely clear end goal, not everyone has a cystal clear vision. But if she can figure out bits and pieces of what she wants & doesn't want, she can begin the take steps in the right direction. In my experience, things become more and more clear as you make progress.