"The school notice board is normally full of N American job offers)..."
Translation - "Put them up there myself. "
If you read on to "then you will leave here at the end of your Visa time with a respectable number of hours."
Translation - "Here refers to the USA as a whole not our shool in particular. You may be able get a job with someone else and build some hours! No promises whatsoever however! I am sure you are willing to believe that US flight schools / operators prefer to hire expats on temp visas as there is such a shortage of low time pilots here in the US."
As a graduate of HAI who had three job offers
before I finished my CFII (one at HAI, and without sending a resume to anyone in advance), I can attest to the power of HAI's reputation in turning out well-trained pilots. As far as the notices on the wall go, I am now the chief instructor for a small US-based flight school, so I put the notices on the wall there when I need an instructor (or more accurately, I send them to Sam, and she puts them up).
If we hire a foriegn instructor on a visa, the visa is transferred to us, so that instructor keeps working.
It would be foolish to think that every graduate of HAI is automatically going to be a top pilot, as not everyone who goes there has the makeup to
be a top pilot, but if the students are motivated, overall they will come out as well educated and trained as they could possibly be (outside of the military).
HAI has some issues, mostly related to size and the huge demand for their product - it's a big, busy place, and they've definitely been going through some akward growth spurts in the last two years. If you are one to get lost in a shuffle, it might not suit you. Our little school get a fair number of folks who left HAI not due to quality, but due to wanting a small, homey kind of place.
"and assuming you merit it - we can recommend you!"
Translation - "Don't hold your breath. We took your money but have no duty to do anything for you - don't let the doorknob hit you in the ass on the way out the door."
I turn out on average about two CFIs a year. I hire on average about one (we have four on staff). We've hired four HAI graduates, and three from our own program. HAI themselves hires about 99% from inside their own school, However, even if you are a top - quality instructor, you might not get hired by HAI (or me) if there are no openings at the time you are looking. However, if you are a good candidate, the HAI folks will happily recommend you. If you are NOT a good candidate, they will still provide you help in getting your resume out there.
They are still helping me - I get support from the A & P staff, from Sam, from some of the CFI staff whom I trained with - in addition, if an HAI graduate applies to me, I can count on getting solid info from HAI on what kind of CFI they will be.
Wow - OK I have gone on a bit here, forgive me. Albatross, you are entitled to your opinion, and you are empowered by this forum to express it. However, unless your opinion is based on actual experience and/or demonstrated fact, your opinion may be just another one of those things that everybody's got one of.