[cpach]

I would make a list of the top 10 or 20 companies that you are interested in working for. Then start to investigate if you have any connections in said companies and reach out to them.

Starting your own business is also a good idea, but in that case you need to think about how much runway you would need.

I would keep the role on the CV. If it comes up, you can just say, “during my time at company Foo I did X, Y and Z”. It’s easier to do that than to explain the whole in the CV if you leave it out.