Struggling to Find a Job After 7 Years of Experience – What Do I Do?

I've been in the tech field for 7 years now and I'm feeling really stuck. It's been 9 months since I started looking for a new job, submitting hundreds of applications each month without much response. I've received very few interviews, and even when I do really well, it just hasn't been enough to land a position. Despite having a recommendation letter, it's like I'm hitting a wall. The job market feels so discouraging—like many offers are just ghost listings and companies take forever to respond or end up rejecting candidates after interviews. I've been working on some personal projects, which I enjoy, but I'm starting to think I might have to take a minimum wage job just to get by. I'm even contemplating drastic measures because it feels like making money through gambling might be easier than finding a role in my field. I'm also actively learning new skills and technologies to boost my prospects, and plan to publish one of my apps soon. Any advice on what I can do to improve my situation would be incredibly helpful!