You'll get a different answer on whether or not there's a controller
shortage depending on who you ask. The FAA is not paying new hire
controllers 100k. I've heard from friends in the industry that new
hires make 60-70k but IIRC the FAA is proposing to lower first year pay
to around 40k.

Will I end up hating my job?

Hard to answer that one, you'd have to speak with an ATC type for that.

Does anyone have connections?

For an anonymous poster on Usenet? I doubt it.