Hi there! I've literally just registered and this is my first post to a forum, or whatever you call this sort of thing!
I read with interest the posts regarding the chances of getting work in the aviation industry, and have to agree with Puritan.
I saved for years to build up my flying experience, and then spent a year in the US getting all sorts of qualifications (CPL/IR/CFI/blah blahblah...), then hours built up to 800 TT and then came back to the UK to get my CPL. Unfortunately for me, this was around the time of the first Gulf War - the fall-out from that particular campaign was possibly worse than the more recent one, and there was more chance of me becoming a ballet star in the bolshoi than getting a job for an airline. I sent out CV's to about 600 companies, contacted people who privately owned twin engine aircraft offering my free services, spoke to many London Embassies (the Peruvian embassador seemed quite receptive for a while!) and my last ditch attempt to get work involved heading down to Zimbabwe. Of course, when I got there, there was no work. I ended up flying backpackers round the game reserves for a while, sharing the costs - my money soon ran out and it was time to head back to the UK, give up my dreams of following in my father's footsteps, and go to university to study IT.
Well, 10 years further down the line, and here I am - working as a consultant for a Dutch bank - I've long since cleared off the considerable debts I incurred whilst training to be a pilot, hours building and trying to keep current. My enthusiasm for flying is now channelled into paragliding...a far more affordable past-time, but also fraught with frustration (in this case caused by lack of good weather in this country!).
To summise, getting a job in flying is 50% luck, 40% timing (if I had qualified between 1987-90 instead of 91, then I would probably be flying now) and 10% who you know. Maybe I should also squeeze in 2% for talent, but at my cinical time of life, I don't really think it counts for much!
I wish anyone who is trying to get onto the first rung of this career ladder all the luck in the world - you'll certainly need it!