I got in the field motivated by a specific problem that I wanted to build a solution for. I needed to learn programming to do that. Keeping the problem in mind has led me to study and increase my capabilities in a variety of areas, and currently I do ML research. I'd highly recommend this approach if you have a problem that is particularly motivating or interesting to you, as it can consistently point you useful directions to explore independently of any one job or piece of technology.

For the first job, mine was at a startup. Founders may be more willing to take a bet on someone who demonstrates passion and an ability to hack on stuff and get it to work, whereas big company hiring seems to be more conservative.

Performing superbly on technical interviews will always get you hired, regardless of your background. If you have a buddy also interviewing, pair up and give each other as many whiteboard interviews as you can (I did 2-3 weeks of 5-6 problems per day). You'll feel much more confident.

Lastly, work on projects you are actually excited about, and interview at places doing stuff you're excited about. That sort of excitement really shines through in an interview. Additionally, it will pay off in quality of life.

Good luck!