Write articles for sites like this one. Once published, put it on your resume. You may be surprised how big an edge "being published" can give you, even with a dearth of years. Then prepare to dazzle with tech screening answers.

I just finished job hunting a few weeks ago. I got 6 interviews in one week, and every single manager mentioned that having published articles mentioned right near the top of my resume was one of the key reasons they wanted to interview me. Got me past a lot of people who would otherwise have rejected my resume because I don't have a degree.

And in every interview, I made sure I didn't give "stock" answers to the technical questions. Give memorable answers. (This works best if your memorable answers are accurate, of course.) Never brush off a question. Even the standard "what's the difference between table variables and temp tables" can make you memorable if you can quote some data about "there are DBA urban legends that table variables are faster because they're stored in RAM, but Microsoft says...". The other twenty people who interview will give the stock answers, half of them will give the wrong data. You say something accurate, memorable, and that shows a deep understanding of the subject, and you'll stick out in the interviewer's mind.

You don't have to be memorable on every answer you give. You just have to be memorable at least once. Marketing research shows that most people can only keep the top three brands in mind when asked about any given product, and it'll be based on "flash", not "substance". You are the product that you're selling, and your answers and conversation are your "flash". People will even misattribute positive qualities to the most recognizable/memorable brand name, even when clearly advertised about a less well-known brand. (Works conversely too. People will read a news article about a problem with an Apple product, and will answer that it was about Microsoft if asked about it the next day.) This doesn't work as well with people who are themselves experts on the subject, but still applies.

Engage the interviewer in a conversation, and not a dull, routine one. Nobody will remember the DBA interviewee who says that "there are three types of backups: Full, Diff, and Log", they will more likely remember the guy who says, "there are three main types of backups: Full, Diff, and Log. Did you know that SQL 2008 can natively compress backups, and that it's actually faster when they do that on most servers? I/O is more of a bottleneck than CPU, so the extra work the CPU has to do to compress the backup is more than made up for by the reduction in I/O bottleneck because you're writing less to the disk. Kind of cool, isn't it?" Even better yet, "Full, Diff and Log. Have you had a chance to try out the new backup compression in SQL 2008?" That lets the interviewer engage, instead of just listening to you ramble.

When they ask if you have any questions, at the end of the interview, ask "Am I leaving you with any questions or concerns about my ability to do the duties of the job?" Clear anything up at that point.

I followed those rules, and I got offers from all 6 companies I interviewed at. Your milleage will vary. But do try it.