MJ, I have to agree with you... stick to your guns.
I qualified for my FI in September, shortly after 911. I knew that work was not going to happen straight away, so after a month I got back to my old job.
I went to my local airfield about every 2 weeks to see about instructing and other pilot work, not to mention making the rounds at all the schools around the M25 and the South East that I know to be busy.
Finally in February time I visited my local airfield and one of the clubs required someone to answer the phones and move aircraft around on a weekend. A good oportunity to get in there I thought and within 3 weeks they had me doing trial flights and soon after I got my first full time student. Now four months later I am flying every weekend and putting in about 4 to 6 hrs each time.
As far as I'm concerned this is the best way it could have turned out. My full time instructor colleagues are demoralised, fed up with not having any money and having to sit on the ground for long periods during the week. I on the other hand get the best of both worlds, a half decent salary during the week as an IT contractor and get to stay current at the same time.
I don't think there is any hurry to build hours as I reckon the industry won't pick up for some time. In the mean time I will keep plugging away at those mailing lists and phoning up the contacts I've been making since June last year and eventually I will get somewhere. My IT job is OK and I'm enjoying being a normal young person at last (spent most of my after school years saving money and my 18months of fATPL/IR being a hermit studying) I have to say I don't share everyone elses depression about the way things are because there ain't no way that I can change it! You just got to keep flying going on the back burner and get on with having a good time.
That's my 2 pence and now I'm ready to be shot down.