Get your friend to set up a call with the manager (or even just to give you their phone number) for the team with a vacancy and try talk to him/her for ten minu

Get your friend to set up a call with the manager (or even just to give you their phone number) for the team with a vacancy and try talk to him/her for ten minutes. If their main worry is lack of particular knowledge is the problem you could potentially offer your first couple of weeks for free or expenses only basis to show them what you can do. If decide just to do an independent project for experience I would try something substantially different and/or demo able. Maybe a mobile app or a web service. It sounds like your recent experience is narrow so any substantially different project will make you appear. Most of all do something that you think is cool and you can get excited about. Enthusiasm is worth a lot even before the project is complete and it will help you see the project through.