Pay or suck
In Spain you either pay or know somebody.
I am afraid since the new batch of pilots has such a high standards of ethics This is going to be the norm. You know new planes fly themselves, almost.
In the other hand, If it continues like this, eventually the companies will get into the making money out of buying your own job.
Some in Spain already are!. They publicized a 10, 20, 100 new vacancies, they charge 100EUR to each person, 1000 persons show up, they give them a test and they go home with the $$$ then the few that they select, they ask them to do a Sim ride, the applicant pay for it and at the end if they select you, you have to pay for a TR.
What a way of making money, in the fee, in the Sim and in the TR, share holders must be very happy.
I even suggested it to do it in the Spanish forum as a Racket and somebody said oh but you have to be registered and it could be construed as fraud. I said well judge, I was planning on opening an airline......