Well I'm a veteran of the Sept 11 hold pool.
June 2003: Got a very nice letter saying thanks for your attention, and when we start recruiting again, you'll be on the A-list. Lack of meaningful rating (I'm a military mate, and 40 years old with a family) means nobody's calling me. Looking at some of the posts around here, BA is a total non-starter for somebody who is 'demographically challenged' like me.
If you're under 30 and don't mind time away/weekends it's still a no-brainer if you need an income. If you don't, consider float planes in the Seychelles. Now that beats slot times/FMS/all the other pants that constitutes route flying.
A wise old Navy aviator once said to me, " It doesn't matter what you are flying, as long as you are enjoying your life." I went to Canada once and met a young Canadian who was flying F-18 Hornets. Fantastic. Except he was based at a place called Cold Lake, inside the Arctic Circle (I exagerrate for emphasis). Working against impossible odds to lose his virginity(to a human). His mate was flying C-130s all over the world, visiting different places and generally putting it about as best he could. I know who was the happier.
It's always horses for courses, but think carefully before you make a big move.