I was looking for my first job during the dotcom crisis and it took me about 18 months. I took a semi-programming job at slavery-level salary just to get my foot in. What really helped was the fact that I had spent 3 months as an unpaid intern at a reputable software house 2 years earlier. I remember my friends mocking me back than for being a looser and an idiot for "working for free". This sentiment (entitlement?) is even stronger among young people today. They refuse to acknowledge that when you come in with zero experience and nothing to offer and get free training - you are the real beneficiary.