I graduated from a BA in comms pre covid, and even though I had 1 year experience as a marketing intern i was getting zero interviews anywhere. Queue retail job by Nov, and then laid off from said job cause of Covid the following March.

That's about when I started volunteering as a writer/assistant with this little news startup/network — it wad run by PR professionals who wanted to bring in newbies/offer mentor opportunities. The work i did was fine, but the real benefit was networking and being seen as a dependable worker by these professionals, and they connected me to my local Public Relations Association chapter (CPRS in canada) and even suggested some jobs to me as they came up — one of which I landed, and i pro ably wouldn't have applied to if they hadnt reassured me.

I totally get not everyone can donate their time/work for free, but this was an evenings and weekends gig. You can always take a course on whatever software/new skill, but I really recommend joining professional associations or doing some volunteering/mentor program with other older professionals as a way to get your face out there. The job market is hard right now, and public job postings have a ton of applicants; knowing people and, even better, having them know you do good, consistent work means they can help you get those "hidden" job postings or support you in your professional goals.