Need advice — 10 months Salesforce Dev experience → left for Masters → didn’t get admission → now 9-month gap. How do I get back into a job?

Hi everyone, I’m in a complicated spot and would really appreciate honest advice.

I worked as a Salesforce Developer (Associate Software Engineer) for 10 months at Accenture. I left the role to pursue a master’s degree abroad, but unfortunately I didn’t get admission this year.

Now, it has been around 9 months of career gap, and I'm actively trying to get back into the job market — Salesforce, Python/ML, QA, or anything tech-related — but I’m not getting interviews.

I want help understanding:

Am I being rejected because of the short experience + long gap?

What should I do or learn immediately to become employable again?

Should I focus on Salesforce (Admin/PD1/Flows/LWC) or switch to automation testing / Python developer roles?

Do recruiters usually consider candidates with small experience + gap?

Any tips on fixing my resume or project portfolio?

I’m open to learning anything quickly — DevOps, Automation Testing, Python, ML basics, whatever improves my chances.

If anyone has come back after a gap or made a career switch, I would love to hear what worked for you.

Thanks in advance!