Albatross
Were you the guy that told me five years ago not to bother with my dream of being a helicopter pilot as it was far too difficult and anyway there's no jobs out there??
I am now flying the North Sea having gone the HAI student and instructor route.
It's not easy, it's certainly not a holiday - years of sheer hard work with little reward and no guarantees but with a bullish attitude and determination (and a little luck) it is possible to get there.
What is amazing is the number of people that turn out for training in beach shorts, a t-shirt and a hangover and then expect to get a job at the end of it. Unless you are very mature this is not a good thing to do as a university substitute.
My advice for getting jobs is to act like a professional from day one of your training; dress like one, act like one and study like one. People will treat you as a professional and before you know it the job offers will come.
Start building up contacts from now. Get on the phone, visit operators and write to them. When a job comes up you must be known to them already. Start talking to both schools that employ instructors and for the jobs after that. Be as wide ranging as you can in companies, types of companies and locations.
www.helicopter.li is a good place to start for contact companies. It is never too early to start looking for jobs and building contacts. I am always amazed at the positive reaction I receive from the people I have called.
The longer you can work in the states the easier it will be to build up hours. If you have a way to get a green card then apply now. If you can (Brits can't) then apply for the green card lottery asap. Find a pretty American girl and marry her! You can maximise your J1 visa working time by getting as much experience as you can before applying for it (ie get a private first). Beware though - if you already have a CPL then you can't apply for the J1. You will maximise your working time by concentrating on FAA ratings while in the US. This may mean doing the JAA by a modular route (doing the exams in the uk seperate to the flying). You will need a CFII to have a good chance of getting a job in the states so budget for it. You can only legaly work as an instructor on the J1 - to work the GOM/ Alaska/ Grand Canyon (all of which are possible once you have 1000 odd hours) you will need a different visa.
Be aware that many North Sea operators are expecting you to get your own IR now so if you can budget for that from the start then it will improve your chances immeasurably.
Expect it to take twice as long and double any estimates of living costs. Living like a student from the start (rice and chicken is cheap!) will help here.
Long ramble I know but hope this helps. Any more questions then PM me.
Good luck!
Splodge