Buckfast,
that is the general view in the industry that a degree graduate will only be in line for tech-services or perhaps design/development with the OEM's - AIB/Boeing/RR/GE etc. You could try getting into OEM work, development is more exciting. If you want to get your hands dirty - there is always the hands-on engineers jobs - they do pay well on occasion - but you don't get to wear a suit to work and your start/finish time is not always 9-5...
Good Hunting,
N1 Vibes