To achieve competency take some classes--free online, community college, whatever--the basic programming classes are all the same. If you have a solid grasp on fundamentals (loops, functions, arrays), in other words if you can look at a program and trace what it's doing, then you can add value in a company (trust me I've worked with people that somehow don't know how to read code).

Actually getting hired requires demonstrating your competency. This can be frustrating without professional experience, but if you are competent you just need to stick with it and you will eventually get your foot in the door. This might require answering some algorithm questions, like sorting. Awareness of SDLC. A portfolio of some sample project. There is a high a demand for anyone that can code. Your first company can suck (mine did) and pay you below market, but professional experience with be incredibly useful for your skills and for your hireability,

It's not easy, but if you enjoy it I think you can do it.