Help a Recent Graduate

Hello People of Blind, I am working on securing my first real job and could use help breaking into an Associate Product Management role A bit about me: I have a lot of entrepreneurial experience 6-8 years (I have been starting new businesses since I was 14). My last business had been profitable for 4-years, though nothing crazy profitable. 2.5 years ago, I wanted a change of pace from running my solo ventures and the unsteady income. I decided to reinvent myself and went to college. I just graduated from a highly respected college in NC with a degree in Economics and Entrepreneurship. I am now looking to get involved with a tech company (hopefully doing some form of AI/ML work) as a PM/APM. I have been applying all over the place to APM roles but have been struggling to get my foot in the door. Well, I am waiting for companies to respond. I have been working on my Python Skills (Codecademy, Coursera), reading PM interview guides, and networking on LinkedIn. I also have been working on a project to make a virtual assistant named Brandy from IBM Watson Assistant. Currently, Brandy can talk about my resume, and the few recruiters I can get her in front of seem to love it. My questions boil down to these three: What else should I be doing to make myself more appealing? Any suggestions on companies I should be applying to? More long term, how should I be developing my technical skills? As a side note, I was rejected by a company called midsize startup on Monday after my second interview before a paid project. The rejection was super disappointing because it was everything I wanted in a company (startup, AI, APM role). Should I leave it, or is there anything I can do to win them back over? #productmanager #product #pm #mentorship