It's not often I comment on Hashnode posts anymore; I think the majority of the articles here are garbage or kids doing homework assignments. But this article relates to me.

When I started programming back in 2000 I didn't take it very seriously. I was 20 at the time, worked technical support at an international bank and was content. I was into cars at the time and so started a car forum that took off and succeeded. That website was my gateway into my first programming job. But it took time. That took place over a year; building the community, learning PHP and html, etc... I lived with my parents at the time and so the only major bills I had were a car loan, insurance and cell phone. I didn't need to make money from it. I did it cause it was fun and I loved my car.

Fast forward 20 years and I've had many development roles and am currently Director of my team.

This 3-6 months goal you have may be short or it may be ambitious. Just because you can read and write in a given language doesn't mean you "know" the language which may be why recruiters or companies are hesitant to hire you. It could be you're really bad at interviewing. It could be you don't have much work to show for your time. It could be anything really.

So my advice to you is; go to production. Write something in the language you want to work on; build it and ship it. We have git and github now a days (didn't have those back in 2000) and so that helps to show off work, but get something into production and get people using it.

Stay persistent - keep plugging away.

Possibly adjust your expectations or goals. I'm a car guy; my dream car is a Lamborghini. I'm also realistic and that's a 400k car + maintenance and insurance. So I aim high and if I end up in the middle (Porsche or BMW) I'll be happy.

An internship should be pretty easy to get (I've never done one so not sure how those go) but maybe your aiming for companies that get tons of applicants. Maybe try a smaller company or contribute to a github project you like. IE: get your name out there. Keep working towards the job you want, but be willing to take what you can get in the interim.

You're not married to your job. Every job for me has been a stepping stone to the next, preferably with better pay and benefits. That's not to say you shouldn't stay at a company for 2+ years, but make a move when you think you're ready. You'll know when that is.

Most important; don't give up. If you really want a career as a developer, persistence is key. My goal has never been to work for google or apple or etc... I hate big companies and prefer smaller mom and pop shops. Good pay can be had anywhere, you just need to look for it. Had a great job a few years ago; all of 12 employees. Not a startup but an amazing boss and great pay and benefits. We made a great product at a great price and that's how we succeeded. Happiness and fulfillment can be found anywhere.

Good luck!