Myself I followed more of a ‘divide and conquer’ approach, entering many opportunities and if I had a job doing it part time, but now is the time I will be diving into a few more. And yes the first years are golden and very determining. Building relationships is just as important as building a design portfolio - people have to know what you are truly good at, i.e. you need a profile. You cannot expect a very high salary at the start, still your salary is higher than mine and I have 7 years of experience. It is all about working hard and smart, finding opportunities. For the rest, I advise to follow Yo’s advice, that definitely has worked!
Also for finding focus on a budget try (good) bread, toasted with ketchup+cheese or banana+peanut butter, tea, regular exercise, no tv and your productivity goes through the roof.