Last time I looked into this option, with a view to doing something useful while working towards ATPL writtens and hour building, most companies suggested that the way in was through either check-in desk or ramp/dispatch-type jobs first. I vowed to get a driving licence and then go for dispatch, as I have done much, much more than my fair share of thankless customer-facing!
This thread seems to suggest that it's possible to go straight into ops and learn on the job, which would be fantastic. Is it the fATPL, and knowledge that comes with it, that makes the difference? It would seem hard to persuade a potential boss that one is not interested in flying for a living and spent all that money on one's licence because one fancied the challenge...
