Functional Developer salaries in New Zealand

Hi everyone! About 1.5 years ago, I started learning web development. I've built and deployed several MERN projects, followed good project architecture, and integrated popular third-party libraries to gain real-world experience. Now I'm struggling to land an internship, and all the "web dev is dead" posts are making me doubt my path. I'd really appreciate guidance from experienced developers. Any advice would mean a lot.

As I continue my journey from IT support into software development, I’m curious to hear from experienced developers, hiring managers, and tech professionals. If you were starting over in 2026 and wanted to become a software developer, what skills would you focus on learning first?

I am a Sri Lankan developer with experience as an Intern Web Developer. I also have 2+ years of experience building software development on personal projects + web development as a freelancer. I have been self-studying in this field since around 2018. (I was at school back then..) Can I apply directly for Associate / Level 1 Software Engineer roles? Do I need to do an internship in Software Engineering again? What should I do to land a job as a Software Engineer?

Is it normal for companies to remove remote contractor roles after hiring? I accepted a role advertised as fully remote contractor work, but later the company said they were reconsidering some remote roles due to business performance and process changes. Remote work was part of the original setup. How common is this, and is it generally considered fair practice for contractor positions?