Hello!
Right well I am an ecological consultant and I can tell you that you are doing everything right Holly and it is only a matter of time it really is. Keep on with the field ecology and the key thing also though is meeting people. Try to wangle field work where you are supporting another ecologist rather than working solo. The next best thing to lots of experiance is networking. join societies, the bat conservation trust is a good one, also the mammal society. Perhaps even better is to join IEEM at their graduate level, you will then have the opportunity to do reduced cost workshops and training courses, and more importantly you'll meet people and all decent consultancys recognise the value of IEEM membership and will also recognise that you're serious. I know its all money but it will help in the end.
For those of you being forced to work outside of your comfort zone keep speaking up, don't stay quiet and if you keep getting ignored look for a new job, such consultancies that continually send out people to do work they are not experianced enough to do or work people so hard that they are exhausted and are liable to make mistakes as a result or crash on the way home, are going to run into big trouble one day.
Good luck folks, feel free to pm me if you have any further questions
