I would hope that I'm the exeption in not having secured a flying job in 7.5 years!
I had to take a few months out of training (between s/e and multi phases) in order to help my parents, my father was terminally ill. Realising I had limited time in order to complete the course, I resumed training late '99 for 4 weeks, then had to go back home, then resumed again in june '01 (I had to as the 36 month rule meant I would have lost my ATPL ground school passes). At this stage my dad was very ill, but the one thing he wanted to see me acheive was a pass in the IR. I nailed the IR (after a partial pass
) and rushed back home. My dad died 20 days later.
Sent out loads of CV's then 9/11 happened!
I carried on sending out CV's for 18 months or so and couldn't even get a normal job! Debt was getting very serious, but I landed a non-flying job in London (280 miles away from home) I was all set to pack my bags and revalidate IR and get back in to the swing of things when my mothers condition deteriorated and she was in and out of hospital and I was unable to take the job. The iceing on the cake was the DWP stopping my jobseekers allowance as I had turned down a job. Flying was very much on the backburner at this stage!
I continued to look after my mum, got a far better paid job only 13 miles away and sorted out my finances. My mum died in April 2005.
It is only now, dear reader, that I feel in a state of mind and have sufficient financial resources and domestic stability to step back on the perpetual hampster wheel of keeping current, sending letters, researching, PFO letters back, and so on..... but I'm proberbly too old now! (late 30's)
I don't beleive in giving up, especially when so much went in to doing the course in the first place. I can't wait to fly again! I;m going all out to make it happen this year.
Good luck to anyone about to embark on their flying training/job hunting. I hope you have a rather smoother ride than I did at times.