Web Dev on the Job Hunt. Could use some help.

m_v_p_username · February 21

Hello everyone,

I am a web developer who learned through a mixture of mentorships and being self-taught.

I have no computer science degree, but for what it's worth, I have a Bachelor's of Science in Physical Education.
I started the coding journey in 2020, and got my first dev job in Feb 2022.
I got laid off from that job in May 2023. I spent the following 4 months working on my portfolio while in a mentorship.

I've spent the last 6 months job hunting. I've applied for jobs on:

LinkedIn (primarily)
Glassdoor
Indeed
Careerbuilder
Ziprecruiter
simplify.jobs
Otta
Directly on company sites

I've sent literally hundreds of applications, with many variations upon my resume.
I've only landed one interview, and didn't end up getting that job.

I am here asking for any guidance or advice that anyone can offer me. It just feels like I'm banging my head against the wall without reason at this point.

Any advice helps, whether it be where I should look for jobs, how to apply, if there are certain certifications I should get, etc.

For context:

I have created applications using the MERN and PERN stacks, front-to-back.
- Fantasy stock trading app, a mock forum app, an app querying the Twitter API, and a few others.
- About to start work on a recipe-storing and ingredient-aggregating app, with the goal to incorporate Next.js and Docker.
  - Partially for my own benefit, partially to keep in practice/learn something new, partially to expand upon the portfolio.
At my last job, I was using PHP and Drupal as I was learning it (they hired me knowing that I wasn't trained in it)
- I'm open to working with Drupal again, but I would rather not if I can help it.
I know a little ASP.NET Core and C#.
I understand this has always been a competitive market, and even more so with all the layoffs in the tech industry.