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Others here are much more qualified to advise you on the recommended steps to employment, though our advice for someone in your area might not translate well.

I'm going to repeat a bunch of stuff...

If Effective Java feels too advanced, put it down for a bit. Even better, read the descriptions of each "Item." They are grouped by topic, Generics, for example, so if you don't know about Generics...

How much coding have you done? Did you finish the Head First book, including coding every example and completing every exercise?