I had run into a similar situation, though less time has passed than in your case.

I've had to do similar things to find work: (started young out of interest and put it aside for a few years, then), spend time volunteering (UNOV), freelanced, voluntary freelanced for small businesses/local orgs, build pet projects, just build things in general and study.

Maybe it prepares one better as an engineer than a scientist in the field — the application of a science vs the theoretical and experimental work in developing the science.

--- To expand on the parent subject...

I've had interviews since where I've been able to lay out some of the things I've designed and built both independently and while working for a major media company and still had interviews last hours upon hours to receive no call to even notify me that they've decided to go another route all for some odd questions with no definite answer like:

    Implement a poly-fill for bind by extending the Function object

Or,

    Explain what this css does "if you don't know that's okay,
    but don't get it wrong – that's 'bad'.":
    
    .box {
      display: flex;
      min-width: 1024px;
      min-width: 52em;
      margin: 0;
      padding: 10px 15px 10px 15px;
      
    }
    
    .box--item {
      flex-shrink: 2
    }
    
    .button {
      appearance: none;
      border-radius: 3px;
      background-color: blue;
    }
    .button--green {
      background-color: green;
    }

In the case of the CSS, no DOM context was presented, and the class names I'm giving provide far greater context than the test I'm referring to did...

Only to have every answer given either go unremarked-upon or just told "no", even though the answer could not have been a definite wrong. It was just not the preferred answer.

I was also informed you would be paid more just for having a Masters or PhD, regardless of your contribution. They had graphs and were happy to show me.

I'm talking smaller, trendier companies here though. Buzz words and egos seem to abound. It never made me bitter, but it just seemed so bizarre-o. Not really for me.