Correct. I am self taught but it is only through my somewhat relevant experience as a project manager and in IT that a company would even give me an internship based on a small demo and a recommendation from a lead engineer that I had promise. I have no idea if I would have been able to “break in” otherwise. They paid me next to nothing and I could afford that. It’s a lot of privilege and luck that got me in. I don’t recommend others try to follow my path, but I also wish it were easier to do so.
After a year of experience I was getting legit decent offers - initially almost entirely via referral. I stayed around the initial company because I was still learning a lot. Many years later I am a senior engineer. The world does open after the first job but getting the first one is hell.
Don’t underestimate the class signaling that companies and hiring managers look for. Being some person with a portfolio and no experience almost never seems to make anyone take notice or consider an interview. I haven’t figured out how one would best repeat what I did - there’s lots of very viable and capable (and diverse!) people I know who’ve never been given the chance.
I’d love if there were companies that offered apprenticeships - plenty of people out there would take low pay to get some real experience.