Aviation isn't an easy game to crack.
I consider myself "lucky" in that I have done a lot of different things flying wise.
Instructing, charter, scenic, coastwatch, regional airline flying.
I had 400 hours before I got my first part time job as an instructor. Why so many hours? I got ripped off by my first flying school. No such thing as PPRuNe then! There was a recession in Oz so I needed to keep working as a lab tech to pay for the mortgage.
In 1994 I left every thing in Sydney and headed off to the Kimberly region in Oz. That's a good 5 day drive from Sydney.
Stayed there and washed planes/swept hangars waiting for an opportunity to fly for a living. Over 4 months later I passed the check ride and started flying. First job with 500 hours. Not on a 737, not on a Dash 8, not even a Bandit, but a Cessna 206! Believe me, I wasn't complaining. A full time paid flying job!! At least 50 other pilots DIDN'T get a job that season (in that town). Persistance and practice paid off. After 2 years of that (eventually getting onto the Partenavia after attaining 1500 hours) I got a great job flying Islanders for Coastwatch. I eventually got onto the Shrike. Now, that was a fun job. Flying around paradise looking for things.
With 3300 hours and nearly 2000 hours on twins I managed to get a job as an FO on Bandits and Twotters in Cairns. Another stunningly beautiful part of Australia.
As the FO I had the joy of loading and unloading the plane as well as flight planning and supervising the fuelling. + greeting the pax and briefing them as well as handing out the tucker. However, I was just happy to be flying turbines!
After 18 months of that and with over 4000 hours I got a job flying Dash 8's.
Things happen as they often do and I decided to come over to the UK to convert my ATPL to a JAR one. I know what the score is here but I also know it is much much better here than in Oz for jet opportunities.
A few times I have thought about chucking in this career and doing something else. However, as my Mum told me, I have had too much fun to walk away from it. It's difficult starting over again but I have seen and touched the sky. I want to do it again.
One thing I certainly have noticed, the harder you work the luckier you get. Also, if you appear to be putting in the hard work, then nobody minds giving you a hand.
Good luck to you all.