> I know the common strategies: build something, write a blog, work as a freelancer, etc. In order to get back into the game. I was able to get myself my first job with no experience, but now I feel like I’m less employable because of my hiatus.

Have you been applying to jobs? Asking former coworkers for any job leads?

You’re overthinking it. Just start applying and interviewing everywhere. Don’t get hung up on rejection. Don’t wait until you have side projects or GitHub commits or blog posts. You can do those in parallel as a bonus if you really want to.

Get out there and apply for every single potentially interesting job that comes up. Practice LeetCode and HackerRank to refresh your knowledge and prep for any possible coding interviews in parallel with your job search. Start tonight. An hour a day of practice and applying goes a long way. No excuses to delay.