Kash mate hang in there.... dedication and hard work ALWAYS pay off sooner or later, trust me.
I'm in the CPL ME IR boat as well but thankfull have two jobs (non-av) to work at the moment until times get a wee bit brighter, otherwise we may aswell have met in Maun.
All the best and keep this goodie blog going, it's gonna become a legendary reference thread for newbies once you scored a job