Welding Tips and Tricks

newbie here. and looking for advice... I recently was certified in 3g and 4g stick welding as well as the LA city written exam and code book test... other then the stuff I have learned from my instructors I am as green as they come. I have worked in restaurants and hotels my whole life and am sick of it. Welding always interested me and thats why I decided to pursue it. with these certifications now, I still don't even feel that confident, and since I have no experience, I feel employers won't take me seriously. any advice on how to obtain entry level positions or even apprenticeships? any advice on ways to go about landing my first welding job would be much appreciated ! thank you for your time

Welcome...

Welcome to the forum! As to your questions, (not that I'm a big union guy) but have you thought about a local union apprenticeship? I can say that my experience in another trade showed me that training and job placement were a priority.