This is so cool! I am also in the midst of sending applications for starting out in the industry and sometimes get a bit frustrated, when I read stuff about how Blender is only a Hobby-Tool and it could work out if you are a Freelancer and so on and then I just think: 'crap!' :D I learned 3Ds Max a long time ago and Maya, but just focused on Blender for my bachelor thesis and since then only worked with Blender and sometimes Maya. I am currently relearning C4D, because here in Berlin, that‘s what I see the most in job requirements. This gives me hope, that I can keep going on with Blender, not only for personal projects:)
RE: 3D Graphics News: The Philippines Ranks as one of the Top 20 Countries of Blender Users in 2018