Tony,
It's sad that you find yourself in this situation. The only bright side is that the situation is not you or personal reflection of your ability, it is a symptom of both the current economy, the education system and the crap career guidance and integration with businesses in the colleges and uni's.
I've been banging on about this subject and graduates for the thick end of 20 years, and I'm sick of seeing graduate fodder keep getting churned out across the country with little job prospect. That is a whole thread in itself and I'm sure we've done this area before ( was it Tim and 6th form?)
You've been giving a bum steer - you and thousand like yourself, and each end of year show produces another wave to join last years wave and the year before that wave's too.
So if you've accepted the wake up call, what do you do?
Well you can bleat and blame the system, your mum or the prevailing western cumulus clouds, but that ain't going to make anything happen. Take any negative and turn it into a positive. Make something happen. Nobody will hand you anything, you have to grab it. You don't have to be great in this business, you just have to resourceful and hungry.
Ok, so you haven't got a job yet. Big deal, neither have 3.2 million people. Some don't have any skill set, some have families, some have lost their homes through reposession. There is always someone worse of that you. So what do you have? This is where you come in - I'm not doing all your work for you.
Write a list of all the things you have, health, wealth, friends, posessions, skills, ability everything that is tangible or intangible. Create this monster list of things, put them into as many catagories as you wish. I suggest Post it notes and stick them on a wall. When you look at that wall, you may be surprised to see how much you value, worth and talent you have. You created all these things from nothing. That is the power of You. The first stage is recognising You again. Once you have done that,then the next bit is easy...'What are you going to do about it?' - Make something happen. The answer will be somewhere on the wall. It always is.