Well done bushy-at least there is someone willing to tell it how it is.
After having just been there done that with CPL training, it is quite amazing to transition through the "bulls##t selling" of the flying schools when you are pre ppl about "how wonderful flying is and because you have trained here you will be instantly employable" blah blah, then when you start thinking about "what next after cpl" the veil of secrecy gets torn away as you make contacts and they let you know in no uncertain terms what the industry is REALLY like.
I am currently in that period of limbo- just after cpl, just before first job and like every other fresh green cpl am very confused which path to tread. But I am still motivated, and I can tell you that there have been times when I have thought "whats the point? Its just a giant headf##k dealing with some people in aviation".
hoopdreams: from my extremely limited experience the only advice I can give you is before you start training-ask yourself if you have the self motivation to really succeed. No one other than you and your mummy want to see you succeed in aviation.
If you do decide to bite the bullet, then throughout your early training (before you get a bit aviation-wise and get contacts) be as cynical as you can with what the flying schools are trying to sell you. They assume that you have no idea what the real life of a fresh cpl pilot is after training, and 99% probably don't. Really get as most as you can out of your training as once you get a signature on the dotted line of your cpl licence the FS doesn't want to know about you anymore, you have no more cash to offer, so they have no more time for you.
