What is interesting is that as our company fly us Captains in the right seat quite a lot, we see our peers in a different light !
It is interesting to fly with guys who F/O's have - er - mentioned in passing should we say, then find out that the F/O's are completely correct, hey, I may be one myself !.
I guess I am old fashioned here, but I still believe that zero to hero training and then into the right seat of a jet is wrong. F/O's should do at least a year in a piston or turboprop environment, the workload is high, the flying is demanding, the turnrounds are quick, but above all it is fun flying. The pilots I fly with who have been this route say they wouldn't have miseed it for anything. Sadly some of the others say they would not have started if they thought they would have to fly turboprops before the shiny jets.
The business is changing, you can't self improve anymore, you have to pay top dollar for your licence, then probably more dollar for a type rating - where do the competent, keen but financially challenged pilots go ? The circle has turned and thanks to the CAA we are now back to the days of rich kids and ex Balloon Corps pilots. There are some exceptions, I fly with a few and their debts and determination are HUGE !