Belief
I agree with these threads but if you're ever going to get your command you need to make decisions, and as one man said get the licences anyway you can then network yourself. All this clap trap about where you went etc is irrelevant. I know personally a chap with four Aircraft in the U.k who refuses to let recently passed Oxford students hire them, his quote was "dangerous and can't fly" you need Real time and licences and the rest will follow. I did an ME/IR course all Real time and that has give me extra experience and confidence in the aircraft. Remember theres a lot of people out there who don't like pprune and don't use it so this is not a Gospel and really you're better to get out and meet the students in the schools, then you'll get the real feel, picture esp if you handing over 15000 pounds. During my training I visited Auz, S. africa, U.S.(A waste of time that was) and ten schools in U.K put off by sims I ended up in Spain visiting 3 schools. The hunting is half the the battle. Just make sure you get your own dedicated instructor for the full course, and you can fly every day most important on the IR.