Job prospects after modular ATPL (UK)? Loan or secure a job?

[alexeyAP]

Hello lads, I'm a year or two away from leaving secondary school here in the UK and to be honest I've become infatuated with aviation over the past few years. I would love nothing more than to spend my working hours in a cockpit as opposed to the traditional 9-5 and all the pilots I've spoken to agree wholeheartedly that it is one of the best jobs that one could possibly work. The way I see it integrated is prohibitively expensive while modular is more "grindy" and allows your experience to build up (which should be better for jobseeking right?!). A few questions:

• Would you recommend going to uni, getting a secure and well-paying job and saving for a few years then starting training or going to uni and taking out a loan straight off the bat? I appreciate that financial stability may be something that employers are looking for in a candidate, and it would also allow me to get some real experience of industry before starting pilot training. I was considering going to uni for software engineering/computing science, civil engineering, electrical engineering or even aerospace engineering and getting a job in those fields. (I would also hate the idea of an outstanding loan hovering above my head while I complete my studies).
• Having got your ATPL, is finding a job difficult? I have heard (or read rather) horror stories of people floating about for years after securing their license looking for a job only to fly bizjets in the end.
• Would UK airlines such as easyjet ever even consider hiring modular graduates or do they hire exclusively from their cadet programs? (Again the cost + high risk + low experience/occupational mobility makes this route very very unattractive for me.)

Thanks in advance.