Leo8,
As many before me have said, make sure you apply to everyone and by all means go for the big airlines. In my experience, the smaller regional outfits (the logical first step) wanted really unrealistic levels of experience. They were the ones who messed me around - one in particular promised me the earth but never delivered. In the end, one of the majors hired me and I have been very happy there ever since. Don't discount anyone. The old saying "it's not what you know it's who you know" tends to apply more to those same smaller outfits. Larger airlines have big personnel departments and are far more likely to rely on aptitude testing etc, and not who you know. If you don't apply you will never get the job, so just do it!
Easy Glider, I don't understand how you can be flying a 757 in the UK and not know anyone who got a job straight out of flying school. On my 757 course almost everyone was "right out of school" - and the course after that, and the course after that, etc.
The future looks pretty good for hiring but with a probable war in Iraq early next year I forsee a bit of a bumpy road initially, but once all this silliness is over with and the world returns to some sense of normality I think that there will be lots of jobs up for grabs.
Lazlo