I'm guessing if you don't live in a big city (Paris, Lille, ...) & stay on low-level programming (like C), there is really less demands.

However, I guess most come down to your network, your confidence and how you represent yourself (having the same "cultural" code as experts).

My 2 cents is to treat yourself well first (a healthy mind for a good body), travel more, and work on public stuff / connect with others.