Proving you are worth talking to is the hard bit, and even then the recruiters don't know waffle from insight. Its a fact of life, I think: We are the people who really care about technology, the people we work for usually don't.
If you are a student we (D) regularly fund students to work on projects for us.
There's more money than you'd think in small communities - don't badger people, but don't be afraid to ask.
I find coding fun, and I have been coding since I was 10. I did not go to university because I had family problems, and financial problems, along with mental health problems (depression, anxiety, panic attacks and the like). They usually do not care about this though.
I wish they would at least check out my projects, and let me talk about them or something. I would probably work harder and better than some of their employees. I am currently working on a game and I do not sleep for 2-3 days. I am pretty dedicated when I am interested.
If you are a student we (D) regularly fund students to work on projects for us.
There's more money than you'd think in small communities - don't badger people, but don't be afraid to ask.