I'll second the advice of building something that displays your skills. Another option would be to use your testing experience and look for a position building

I'll second the advice of building something that displays your skills. Another option would be to use your testing experience and look for a position building an automated test suite. Once you've proven yourself and gained some experience you'll probably get an opportunity to take on other projects. Are you looking to get hired in a startup or anywhere? There are employers that hire less experienced programmers regularly - usually larger companies. With a year or two of experience there you should then be in a position to get a job wherever else you like.