I'd say a few things will move you up the pack extremely fast: * Do open source. This doesn't necessarily mean "Contribute to some huge project"- I mean, do AN

I'd say a few things will move you up the pack extremely fast: * Do open source. This doesn't necessarily mean "Contribute to some huge project"- I mean, do ANYTHING, commit that to Github, and use that as part of your advertising process. * Attend local meetups. Doesn't matter how unrelated they are. Is it for designers? Who cares, go and meet people. People throw away resumes, they have a much harder time throwing away a handshake and a smile, especially if you tell them what you've been up to. * Don't be afraid to show passion for whatever it is you're working on. It also will make you stand out greatly over the other applicants. I know this is going to be hard advice to take, but learn to be self-sufficient in your development work. Don't know how to get a site online? Learn how to deploy. Pick some technology that seems neat and learn it inside and out- I did this with Docker over the course of 2 weeks and immediately was able to put it to use when talking to employers. Also, follow up with those Engineers you talked to. Be a squeaky wheel. Especially for the ones who are doing something interesting.