[halflings]

It's not necessarily why they didn't reach out, but waiving certifications and other random credentials (e.g. completion of some Coursera course) is usually not the best strategy to get hired.

Talking about concrete work you've done (of interest to the company) is much more convincing.

[BillyTheMage]

Unfortunately for me I think my "concrete work" is what's keeping me from looking like an attractive employee to tech firms. Somehow they don't understand how construction and software development are extremely similar.

[tyingq]

On the other hand, there's no shortage of (dumb) employers that insist on various certifications.