My certs have all expired, but when I started I didnt have any at all.
The thing that worked for me was to apply to small businesses(Look into local MSPs). Places that have ~20 employees have much less rigor about certs and will more likely test that you’re amicable enough to mesh with the rest of the team. From there you can build experience and often get thr company to pay for your certs.
I like #B00B69. Not only for the name, but also because it’s a really nice magenta color