Get experience by volunteering (Score 1)

There are lots of non-profit organizations that benefit from help with technology. Find a non-profit that can articulate what it needs and is ready to adopt a new technology (most likely some kind of data-base driven website) and implement it for them. Keep doing this over and over again for diffferent organizations. What you get out of this is 1) a demonstrated list of projects that you can put on your resume; 2) lots of people connected with the organizations who can be part of your network, and someday may be able to help you find a job (just make sure that you know people really well and have demonstrated the value you add very clearly before you actually seek help from anyone finding a job). Some useful non-profit technology organizations: http://www.nten.org/ http://www.techsoup.org/ http://www.organizenow.net/ (located in Boston) Good luck!