Awesome write up; thanks for sharing. I'm a self-taught developer too, although it took me more than 6 months to get my first job. One technique I'd add to you

Awesome write up; thanks for sharing. I'm a self-taught developer too, although it took me more than 6 months to get my first job. One technique I'd add to your list is, "Find online programming communities and take part in them." I learned an incredible amount from development-oriented mailing lists over the years, and I still do.