Experience and portfolio for finding your first job as a programmer?

Question

Career in IT

I know there are a lot of similar questions, but I'll be more comfortable if I ask my own. I live in a small town with a population of about 50 thousand people. There are no prospects for me as a 24-year-old, so in the summer of 2020 I decided to take up programming in order to find a job and move to a large city.
I chose JS as a programming language, bought courses, and for a year now I have been studying in my free time from my main job. During this year, I got used to the language quite well, solving a bunch of problems on codewars-like sites. Plus, I did all sorts of lamer projects from the "projects for beginners" series - and this is a blog, a clone of the social network, a weather site and a couple of other petty ones. All this was done in order to consolidate in practice the knowledge of the usual express, Vue and Svelte. I also used Django, but I don’t focus on it in training (although I also solved many problems on codewars in Python).
From the paragraph above it is clear that from JS frameworks I am familiar with Svelte and Vue. And from the list of completed projects it is clear that this acquaintance is superficial. I also have React in my plans. I'm currently learning TypeScript. But then again, all this is likely to be superficial.
And therein lies the crux of my question. Where can I gain experience with which I could look for a permanent job as a programmer? What should I build my portfolio from? What to get your hands on? What to show the employer?
I mentioned a small city not in vain. I did not find any companies where I could get acquainted with more serious tasks at least for free. I met only a couple of people who write in Java and C ++ to order - they didn’t have anything for me.
And it turns out that I do not understand what to do next. Accumulating superficial knowledge without backing it up with practice makes little sense, as for me. Write random projects and present them in your portfolio? This gives me little confidence in my abilities, although for the most part I can write such projects. And in general, what is worth adding to your portfolio, and what is better not to spread?
Take on freelance assignments? Then I would like to hear advice, where exactly (what platforms) and how to look for tasks for a beginner? After all, there are thousands of half-educated people like me.

Answer 1

It seems not such a big question, it's amazing how much nonsense you could stuff here.

bought courses

Well done, man.

It is clear that this acquaintance is superficial.

Nobody needs it. Superficial == don't know.

Where can I gain experience with which I could look for a permanent job as a programmer?

At home, but I prefer in cafes - I think better there.

What to get your hands on?

On code.

What to show the employer?

Knowledge.

self-confidence

Stop chewing snot.

And in general, what is worth adding to your portfolio, and what is better not to spread?

Don't post shitty code, post good code.

Take on freelance assignments?

You yourself know the answer:

After all, there are thousands of half-educated people like me.

Answer 2

Even in a small town, everyone needs websites
. That is, you need to look at familiar friends of relatives in order to make a website for well expensive

Answer 3

Where can I gain experience with which I could look for a permanent job as a programmer?

My first IT job was filling out excel spreadsheets for a cutting board company. I got a job there as a courier / merchandiser. Then he brought the completed tables to the authorities. Then I made scripts in them.
Seriously, try going to non-core firms. There you will be an enikey worker. You will be alone and your inexperience will be invisible.

What should I build my portfolio from? What to get your hands on? What to show the employer?

Show him the assignments made in the courses. You took courses, there should have been something left.