Good advice all around. 4 pretty seasoned people just dropped some good direction on you. Had you posted your portfolio any one of us could have recommended you for a position or even hired you. I highly recommend getting that portfolio link in here.
I’ve been hiring (and sometimes firing) designers for the past 11 years when I first became a director. I can tell you that it is always hard to hire people. On average it takes me 4-8 months of searching to find someone who is skilled, has the intellectual horsepower, and will mesh with the existing team. As Mike pointed out, definitely take advantage of the opportunities to network both in person and virtually.