I've no degree..... I don't drive either....
At 12 I got a job as a paper boy, by 13 I was doing 2-3 peoples rounds. At 16 I started working as a cleaner in a supermarket, that holidays I managed to get a temp job fixing mistakes at the mobile phone factory ( £10 p/h no tax! ). The money was pretty good despite most of it being taken by my parents to buy drugs.
At 17 I started uni, but due to psychological issues I dropped out and started cleaning dishes as a kitchen porter, over time I became a chef.
In 2000 Due to illness ( I'd had the shingles, and due to stress it had recurred), I'd been unemployed for about 6 months, and I got on a training course to do an MCSE, from this I got a work placement at the place ( a friend on the same course got recommended by me, and works there to this day). After the placement I moved Down to London. The next (almost) ten years were temp jobs, some good ( server migrations ) , some bad ( cleaning hospital toilets). During this time I taught myself php/mysql/css etc. in 2008 I got my first 'proper' gig as a web developer, and I'm still doing that.
Not having a job and seeking one can be pretty demoralising, the last 2 years was contract work, and while it paid well ( on paper £50,000 p/a ) your next job pretty much relied on what you were doing in your last job. I spent 6 months without a role in 2013, 3 months in 2014 due to bad choices of contracts.
If you really want a job, even a shitty one it's a full time job in itself, between contracts I would work 10-12 hours a day, often applying for 10-15 roles per day. Back in my kitchen porter days when I was unemployed, my days were spent on the streets, C.V. in hand going shop to shop. Sometimes a 'shitty' job can be awesome, I worked for 6 months nightshift in a bookstore, I didn't have to talk or interact with anyone, and got to spend all day with my ( then a toddler) first child. Being a cleaner and a kitchen porter were similar, the work wasn't that hard ( though physical ) and interaction was kept to a minimum.
I'd really recommend temping to people, firstly a good relationship with an agency, and you'll always be in demand, secondly if you seem motivated & have a good attitude often places will want to keep you on.
Lastly, Don't let the lack of a job stop you from doing what motivates you. I got my first web dev gig from slaving away for 3 years on a portfolio, and got friends their first gig. Do what you are passionate about, and look around for events in your area for those with similar interests. After grinding away at code for 15 years I' really over it now, so my spare-time is spent being a maker, preparing for performances etc, Ive no illusion that either of these things will make enough money for a while to allow me to leave this field, but in a year, or two I'll get to move on and do something that once again fills me with passion.
Not bad for a kid with huge psychological issues, from a single-parent, council estate, benefits dependant, drug addicted family eh?
