Here's how it appears to me that you get a job as a "junior" in tech.
- Be visible somehow, be seen working or publish work (green boxes, blogs, etc.)
- Connect with a person "in" who can give you a chance
- Start at a company that understands that skills are built on the job

How far off am I? So many stories I hear are a variation of, "someone saw potential in me and gave me a chance"

Another observation: It looks to me that being able to *demonstrate* the following means a lot

- Growth over time. Take that app you built, refactor, add features, show good code hygiene, write about what you're learning in the process (h/t @Adapt4theWin for that advice.

- Teamwork. You don't have to wait until you're hired to work on a team to build something (hint: check out @_collab_lab or start a group of your own)

- Adaptability. This field is ever-changing. Do you know how to learn? Will you still be able to work when the lastest tech falls out of fashion? How do you respond when you need to do something other than what you've been taught explicitly?