I can sympathize with those struggling to move up the ladder, I really can, but you've got to get over how many hours you've got and start looking at other attributes, that's the way HR are looking at things so you need to adapt or give up... as harsh as that might sound.
Well from my experience that is not how it works it is all about hours.
End of the day nobody cares about how much of a hotshot you are or your HD average at uni.
You don't get a shot at a job if you don't have the hours....period.
The way it should work in IMHO is airlines should screen people early on in their career and annoint them as suitable then when they reach x hours they can get a start.
That way you have something to work toward, people are then really recruited on talent and it cuts out the BS lottery element that is GA.
Seen alot of guys race into airlines young who just happened to be well connect in GA circles who were not as good as people who were less connected but because they could get into the interview and the other guy couldn't they got recruited. Then there's a downturn and now he's stuck in some job collecting hours they are now deemed useless by HR.
I left GA after 1500 hours and was more than capable as a Turbo-Prop F/O followed quickly by a command.
And heres the rub 'back in the day' you wouldn't have even got an interview with that sort of experience