I don't have to have access to the editor side of dmoz.org to answer parts of your question.
1) There is no "try" to get into the ODP. All you do, all you can do, is suggest that an editor review a certain site when they are looking for sites on a particular topic. Then wait until some volunteer editor volunteers to review it. That's all. No trying, no effort, no pain, no exertion involved. We suggest patience, the truth is, worrying yourself into a nervous breakdown or ulcerous attack is just as effective (if more painful).
2) If you submitted to a "web developer" category, I can tell you that there are thousands of unreviewed sites waiting in that area, and you may wait more than a year. (I can't guarantee that you will have to wait that long, but you should be prepared to.)
3) I can give you the usual advice: there may be 50,000 so-called- or wannabe- web developers in the world, but in your own hometown there are probably just a few -- so do submit your site to the "Business and Industry/Computers/Web Development" subcategory of your hometown category. You have that unique service to offer -- you can easily meet local people face to face -- and therefore your listing is more valuable there than in the generic Web-Development categories where you are just one of 20,000 sites. You will probably get listed more quickly, and that won't keep you from being listed in the generic category either, when an editor finally summons up the patience to tackle that backlog.
