It's probably more of an issue of confidence than passion, because I still enjoy coding. That's what I'd want to continue doing for a living for the foreseeable future. I have also worked on personal projects, some on Github that caught the attention of some decent companies.

But I'm very frank about my shortcomings, and possibly too realist, when it comes to interviews. No one wants bad surprises, after all. I have years of delivering as promised, launching many websites and SaaS products. A lot of companies big and small seem OK with my resume.

But after the interview, companies felt that I was an entry-level candidate to them. That's what some of them flat out told me. Also, they sometimes were not satisfied with the way I explain technical concepts. Companies do not delegate my hiring process to a more appropriate junior role, or for something simpler like QA.

Regarding taking advice from strangers online: online is the most I have interacted with other developers. I have no friends in the industry and my colleagues rarely talk back to me, when I ask the some questions about work or about looking for work. Offering them a favor is not an easy option either, because I feel too broke and unemployed to be of use to anyone. My financial situation is making it hard for me to be a giver first.