If there is a group of companies that you would like to work for, you could learn the programming language that those companies use. That could be less risky in order to get a job with them.
Another option for getting job experience as a beginner would be to do small freelance work available from a site like freelance.com or odesk.com (or a similar European site). The barrier to entry may be lower as someone doesn't have to hire you for a full-time position to do some paid programming. You could learn a programming language that matches the needs of jobs available on those sites that you are interested in.