FTC ending in 10 weeks, reorg killed internal conversion - how would you play the recruiting run-in?

Throwaway for obvious reasons. Looking for a sanity check on how to prioritise the next couple of months.

Analyst (~2 years) at a smaller, less well-known shop (think principal-side project finance infrastructure/energy investing rather than a brand-name bank). Humanities degree from Warwick, non-target-ish route in. Passed CFA L1 in June and doing some further technical certifications. I've real deal experience ie modelling, credit/structuring work, IC papers, and I've originated a live deal myself, which is rare at my level.

The problem is that I'm on a fixed-term contract that ends in about 10 weeks. I was told earlier in the year there'd be a permanent conversion. Then a firm-wide reorg hit, and the roles that would've absorbed me are now prioritised for at-risk permanent staff. My team rates me quite highly and has said openly they want to keep me (even pushing this to those that are overseeing the redundancy process), but their hands are tied, no seat to offer unfort. The one or two internal roles that exist elsewhere are effectively spoken for by people with existing relationships in those teams. Ofc I'll still go for those, but there is some handicap in this. So internal is more or less closed, and I've got a hard deadline.

On recruiting, I've had a couple of warm intros to MDs via colleagues, few recruiter conversations. But nothing's converted to an offer yet. Most threads are early stage or slow; A couple of CV-stage rejections at the more competitive names. I'm looking mostly to pivot into sell-side within my industry (Infra/Industrials) - but ofc very much open to buy-side given job security.

My qs:

1. With a hard deadline ~10 weeks out and an unconverted pipeline, where should the energy go - chasing more applications, or going deep on interview prep to convert what I have (eg existing MD relations)? My instinct is the latter, since volume isn't the constraint, but keen to hear if that's wrong.
2. Is it worth taking a step back - e.g. a first-year analyst seat at a brand name, or even an internship at a firm in exactly my target niche to break into the sell-side, given the classic "no sell-side experience" chicken-and-egg? Or does that undersell 2 years + CFA L1?
3. Anyone navigated a hard FTC deadline? How did you handle timing/leverage in processes when you can't wait forever?

Appreciate any straight takes. Trying to be rational rather than panicked about it.