Trying to teach myself the skills of a mid-senior level developer/engineer just to get a job is killing me and I don’t even know if it will pay off

College curriculums surrounding IT and CS are incredibly far behind currently except for maybe the very very top tech colleges available. I have friends from all over, and basically none of them learned systems design, k8’s, and airflow. Jobs now almost seem to expect that you not only know but can test confidently and pass on these topics under pressure in interviews. Without much experience the only way is to work a shitty full time job to survive rent and if you’re still in college juggle that as well, and spend all of your free-time trying to become a tech wizard. I honestly think I’m in too deep and have no choice but to run with it (plus, I’m super passionate about it) and i’d encourage any other new grad to do the same regardless if we saturate our field more. All that I’m confident in is that those that stick with it and keep adapting will come out on top, it’s just a matter of how long it takes before the doubts take you over. I know some new grads that have been searching for over a year.