Feeling demotivated — struggling to get ML job interviews after 5 years in my first role

I’ve been feeling quite demotivated lately. I have a reasonably good profile in machine learning, and this is the first time I’m applying for jobs after working in my first role for 5 years.

Despite putting in applications, I’m not getting interview calls from anywhere, and it’s making me question if I’m going about this the wrong way.

How does one apply for machine learning jobs these days? Do referrals actually help significantly? Any advice or experiences would be appreciated — just trying to find some direction and motivation again.