Hi, ST,
I worked in shops (one even tried to suggest that I should enroll to take the NVQ scheme for shop assistants - he was one of those people I was rude to).
Most lucrative was doing promotion agency site and event work. It's the kind of job where you see people outside supermarkets serving up food samples and the like. It was quite enjoyable as there are lots of not too shabby totty doing the same job. And then I worked for the production company that made and devised the marketing events. Which was also quite interesting. I had no previous experience of marketing at all, or any real desire to stay in it for too long. But the boss at the company was good enough to understand that I might leave at very short notice to fly aeroplanes for a living. I worked for him and his agency for about 2 years in all....
I was 31 when I went to the parachute club and 32 when I went to my first commercial job (in Africa by (mis)fortune), and a staggering 35 (with 1500 TT and 1000 turbine) when I got my first UK airline job (turbo-props, but I actually love it).
I don't know how to say don't give up too soon, but don't ruin your life now because of what you want. I guess it could apply to all sorts of ambitions and dreams, and I am very lucky with my family. Somehow I got through it and got the outcome that I wanted.
All I can say, is that persistance and patience pay. Dropping in on some airlines wil almost certainly bear fruit (with some it will get you nowhere, but will not damage your chances) and who knows, it might just be the lucky day that the ops staff were going to advertise in Flight International and you saved them £50 and the attendant balls ache.
It will happen if you want to make it happen, eventually.
Good luck to all you Wannabees. I've been there and don't want to go back. But you have my sympathy and support, and I hope it happens for you as soon as possible.
The only thing I might have done differently was to swallow my pride and have bee an instructor (and it can come in dead handy later in your career if you want to become a training captain).