That's why you need to network and most of the times dispatching is way better than being a flight attendant if you want to fly planes.
I hope that everyone see your post because many people sit around a computer just sending CVs instead of looking for an aviation job, even if it pays less than your actual job (if you have one already!)
I finished my training and Uni 3 years ago, already working in a retail shop. After 6 months moved country as my home country was not the best to work or get a job, still kept in retail and looking for aviation jobs, no luck in the first year. Second year, got a job as dispatcher, if I quit my retail job I would get a pay cut of more than £5000 annually. Kept two jobs, worked an average of 60 hours per week (crazy I know!) for 6 months and then left the retail job. In the mean time, went back to my country 3 times in 10 weeks just to spend all my savings in hour building (did around 50 in 3 weeks flying time).
1 month after got called for my 1st interview, passed, waiting to start in the next month.
In the mean time, I've made loads of contacts within flight crew about positions available, after passed my job interview I was offered another 2 but I declined as I found a job already.
What I'm trying to say is, if you are in a aviation job with contact with flight crew, you just need to ask, 99% of them will help you. You will get more knowledge (oh boy, I've learned a lot of things as a dispatcher that many crews don't understand at all) and that will give you a slight advantage.
Don't get me wrong but I don't think getting a job as a cabin crew will take you further. It will lock you up in the same company if you want to build up contacts and you will probably learn the safety and emergency procedures of that only company. The job itself will not give you more aviation culture, apart from when you're being trained as a crew member (with this I'm not saying that is a wrong route, just ins my opinion it's not the best if you're job hunting for a flight deck position)
Sorry to hear about you trying all the 'decent' routes you had. I don't support pay to fly, ever, but sometimes people are so handcuffed that I don't blame you. We've all been put in this situation because of those ****heads.