Actually I strive constantly to learn new languages, toolsets, platforms, frameworks and protocols completely on my own. But that doesn't help me get a job. N

Actually I strive constantly to learn new languages, toolsets, platforms, frameworks and protocols completely on my own. But that doesn't help me get a job. No one has paid me to work with any of those, see. If I can somehow get a job through some other means, then yes, all of my self-study is a huge help to me, to my coworkers and my clients. What people actually ASK of me, when they think they're looking for "actual proven experience", is "how many years of experience" I have with a given technology. No one EVER asks what I actually did with it, whether I shipped a product as a result, whether my code actually worked, whether it got good reviews, or sold well. If I weren't such a nice guy, I know damn well I could totally fabricate my resume, and I'd have $250k and an office with a door I could shut in a heartbeat. It would actually work really well, because you know - I do invest in my own training. So I really could do the work, even if my resume were fabricated. But I'm a nice guy, so I don't fabricate my resume.