#1 is really good advice.

I personally got started as the IT guy at a newspaper. Went from managing the network to digitizing their ad tracking (they literally used a clipboard) to going head-to-head with Craigslist.

Being the only person in the room who can “do computer” is an easy way to make yourself indispensable fast.

(It feels like tech is one of the few industries where graduates just slot into a job in their chosen vertical. Everyone who studies literature, art, fashion, etc. takes it for granted that they will have to work in some other industry for _years_ before they can pivot into the field they’re actually trained for.)