My only advice is to network like h*ll, and don't be afraid to help someone out if they are looking for help. Sweeping hangar floors ain't all it's cracked-up to be either, but it is a start. Extra quals can be a godsend, too. Do whatever it takes to make it work....
I got screwed-over where I was, a bloke that I didn't know from a bar of soap gave me an opportunity which I grabbed with both hands, and now I'm flying around in much more complex and faster a/c than I would have been in the other place, and with a company going places to boot....... (read bigger and better twins than "the other" company), and actively working to expand.
Excellent advice from everyone here, too.