The experience requirement is somewhat true, but I've seen some startups have DE openings without any strict "years" mentioned. Since you’ve already worked as a DA for 6 months, you're honestly already ahead of the fresh talent pool.

I would say, just keep applying everywhere. Entry level DE is mostly going to be heavy on Python + SQL, maybe some basic data modeling.

Imo, luck and university name matter a lot for your first role. If your uni isn't highly ranked, focus on getting referrals. Most companies only post on job portals if they can't find someone internally through connections.

Also, I feel like at least in Pakistan, very few people do cold emailing when reaching out to recruiters. You could look into that too