People struggling to get a job are losing out to someone who has proof of work, a person who already has what to show wouldn't even do the interview.
Open source
Engineers who are contributing to open source are more recognized than developers who have nothing to show.
Recruiters who need to hire who understand <technology> will contact them because they are easier to find and they already proved their value.
Learning in public
Through learning in public is easier to know what you have been learning, and what's your strengths because it's public. By sharing your knowledge you end up becoming a reference.
You can start by:
Writing blog posts/tutorials
Doing talks
Creating threads
Recording youtube videos/streams
Building in public
As a recruiter who would you prefer? a person that never builds something or someone who already builds things and released them?
Creating proofs of concept can help you to achieve this, create a small project about something that you are learning with the essentials to work well, it will be your know-how to people who want to see your work.
Repeat this for everything that you are learning then people will know that you're able
to solve their problems, and hire you or pay you for this knowledge.
How do you share your knowledge and prove your value?
Let's discuss proof of work, Follow me on Twitter.
References:
Learning in public