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I ran into this forum googling for people in a situation similar to mine. I graduated 8 years ago after a pretty good PhD, went abroad (US), got a fellowship, everything seemed well. But years passed, problems and delays accumulated and I finally left after 4.5 years with no first author publication, in bad terms with my PI, for another post-doc in Canada. A paper eventually came out a year after, but my second post-doc didn't fare better than the first: failed projects, delays and an increasing sense of alienation. I am finally putting the finishing touches on a pair of manuscripts of little interest.
I'm now 8 years after graduation, with no prospect of entering academia (and no will left to fight for it). I have 6 months left on my contract and it feels like a train wreck in slow motion. I'd like to get a job in the industry, but I have no experience, no contact and apparently no skill of any value to a biotech company. I have applied to pretty much any job I remotely qualified for and never got a call back.
I have no idea of what I'm supposed to do. I never had to look for a job. Discussion with my current PI always end up the same: I'm supposed to build a network, but I have never been a people's person and I am completely inept socially. I fell like I am just supposed to roll over and die for not being a natural social butterfly. I could to go home and regroup but I'm stuck here, as my wife won't follow.

I'm not a scientist but spent last weekend drinking far too much wine and trying to brainstorm with a scientist friend who is in a very similar position to you but in the UK. Do you have someone you could do likewise with? I've no idea about her subject but at least understand that universities can be horrible places to work when everything isn't going right. In the vague hope some of it might help, as she's pretty much at the end of her tether too, here's what she's thinking about.

1) She recognises that having spent years feeling a failure as a postdoc that she's probably not presenting herself as well as she could in her cv and application forms. Her uni does offer some career transition support to postdocs they're laying off and through that she got the name of a careers advisor who knows about science careers to work out how best she can present her postdocs. Might this be an option for you too? Academia can really destroy your confidence and I'm beginning to think it's even more brutal post PhD than during your PhD.

2) Are there any aspects of the postdocs you've had that you've enjoyed particularly, that might take you beyond the obvious science options? My friend really enjoyed mentoring students and so is wondering whether secondary school teaching or some sort of student support role might suit her rather than a science job. She's fixing up to shadow someone in both roles to get a better idea.

3) Thinking about who you've worked with in the past, do you know people who've gone into industry? Could you get in touch with anyone to get some advice - LinkedIn seems quite good for a bit of gentle stalking and non-embarassing recontacts and there's no harm in people, who might help, knowing you're looking for a new job.

None of this is the answer I know but I really do wish you every luck with the search. Could you afford a holiday at home if you think it would help get you in a better place mentally? If you can, go for it.

Hey,

concerning that you are not a people's person etc.

There are ways to train oneself to be more outgoing etc.
Dale Carnegie is a big name for example
There is also a lot of material in the "pick up artist" scene that can easily be adapted/used for non-pickup environments.

Personal Development is an important part of one's life that shouldn't be missed out on. Especially scientists very often happen to be very geeky, introvert kind of people!

I don't think there were much of anything beyond benchwork that interested me. I like solving problems and designing experiments. I don't like teaching and children even less, so that's out.
I feel I have been cheated. Everyone seems to have benefited from my work: the PIs and the institutions I worked for, the student I trained or advised. But I have not. I'm left with a useless skill set outside a lab, too old & qualified for junior/tech positions, not enough experience for manager ones...

Plenty of careers outside of academia once you get out of it. The transition is hard and wrenching but worthwhile. In a few years you'll be sat enjoying your weekend, relaxing. Then suddenly you may remember your former impoverished and stressed life thinking about how you would be in the lab or working on a manuscript every evening then every weekend. There is more to life than the pursuit of "academic fame" which is not really worthwhile pursuing anyway.

Try research funding, governmental or related institutions or other such organisations, esp. if industry is not initially forthcoming. Plenty of former postdocs are employed in such organisations.

I've been actively looking for the kind of non-academic jobs you suggested, even passed some recruitment tests for federal employment. The problem is, I haven't seen any job posted anywhere. It seems pretty much every single government agency is in downsizing mode. And it looks like it's not going to change until the next election, in 2015...