As a newbie it's difficult to see what the market 'really' is like. But from what I can read it seems people who have the ticket and a A320 / 737 Type, a good personality and looks at the positive side of life tend to get jobs with airlines within a year or two.
I will be getting the medical done before I do anything with the CPL etc but either way I will be doing my PPL as I just want to fly again.
I'd love an Airline job where I walk through the airport with my suit on and people looking at me saying 'There goes the pilot' and giving my a smile. Then jump on my 777 and fly to Florida every week.
But I would also be pretty happy flying a load of Cargo in and out of China in a 737. So long as I get to fly I really don't care.
I'm 24 and hope to have my PPL by then end of the year. I am then setting my target of getting my APTL within 2 years of that. So at 26/27, a ticket to fly nice planes and have what I believe to be the qualities of a good airline pilot I am hoping I don't have to wait until my mid thirties before I get my first job in the aviation industry.
I am sure there are people like 'piperindian' who spend £40k on getting the slips to fly the big birds but never get the chance as a career due to not 'fitting in'. I am going to go with what the rest of the people say about there being a shortage of jobs spend my £40k ... I'm only earning just over £20k per year as a web designer but I think if I get a 50/50 chance of getting an airline job out of it then I'm in. (But then I always see the glass as half full).
I'm even half tempted to do a language course in Spanish/French to open up my possible airlines job opportunities. I speak 2 languages at the moment and the girlfriend speaks 4 (Her degree was in French and German though).
Andrew