Here is something I tell people all the time. Some of the most valuable skills I ever gained came from volunteer work. I raised my hand, took on work nobody was paying me for, and learned things no course was teaching. Those skills got me hired. More than once, the experience I gave away for free became the exact reason someone paid me.
Skills learned from an employer willing to take you on and teach you are one of the most precious commodities out there. Walking past that opportunity is a mistake you will feel for years.
I don't accept excuses, because I have never needed them. There is always a way in. You just have to be resourceful enough to go out there and find it. This section exists because I found mine, and I am holding the door for you to find yours.