Give some encouragement!
To join a big US airline you need to have some hrs (at least 4 or 5 thousand!) with turbojet/prop experience. The only way to get this experience is to apply to the regional carriers or cargo operators. Some examples of flight experience to join the regionals are:
SkyWest
1000TT
100ME,
100 hours instrument time
Island Air
1500TT
500ME although we hire with less
TRans States Airlines -
1000 TT
200 ME
Great Lakes
500 hours Total time,
250 PIC ,
50 hours of Multi,
10 hours of instrument (actual),
and have flown at least 50 hours in the last 90 days
Air Wisconsin Airlines Corperation(AWAC) -
1500 hours total flight time
500 hours multi-engine, ATP written by date of hire
To get to this stage most people instruct to gain the experience. It's a long way to the big carriers if that's what you really want to do. You do however need to be either a US Citizen or a Legal resident to get any employment.
The big US carriers are having a hard time at the moment, but surprisingly the US regionals ARE hiring.
Hope this helps