Entry level doesn’t seem to be anymore

TLDR: feels like competition is stiff for entry level positions in high cost of living areas. What free or low cost certificates could improve my resume?

I’m in a high cost of living area and have applied to four entry level dispatch positions. I’ve scored in the 90% range on Criti-Call and gotten two interviews. Two hiring managers wrote back saying they have enough better qualified applicants. I managed to get two interviews. One interview netted a thanks but you will not be considered further due to the number of more qualified applicants. That was 48 hrs later

My other interview took place in a city with $20k hiring bonus advertised. The supervisor who walked me into the panel room said their department had 11 open positions. After the interview, I was informed I would not be moving forward but they would hold on to my resume for the next round of hiring. It took about a week to get that feedback.

These are all with departments about 20mins or less driving distance. I’m about to start applying to departments about 30-40mins drive away. Co-incidentally, the advertised salaries are generally higher than what I’ve applied to so far.

So besides getting CPR certified ($85 around me), what other educational investments can I make to improve my resume? I already have a 60 wpm typing certificate from adult school ($15). I see FEMA has a 3 hr course on disaster area dispatching that yields a certificate number. Any other low hanging fruit?