An impressive-looking ant.
I think where I’m going wrong is that I’m presuming that - as I increase my technical skills - I will become more employable as a tech worker.
Unfortunately this is the opposite of what is actually happening. People hire for ’team fit’ - and usually they do NOT want someone who is particularly technically skilled.
They’d much rather hire someone who generally knows ‘a bit’ about the technical side, while also being the same age range as the other people on the team, is likely to have shared interests and ideals, is prepared to work hard for little money, won’t rock the boat, and will desperately appreciate having a job in the first place.
They do not want experts. They want ants.