Chief, would it have taken you 5 years to get a job if you had done a FI rating? You were lucky in the end to find a job, albeit with the proviso of paying for the rating. But I think that this is an important point. It is one thing to consider investing in your career if there is a genuine job offer, it is another to make speculative decisions that cost thousands of pounds. A case in point is the guy who has started a thread on this web site trying to find somewhere to get 757 hours after forking out for a TR. Bonkers!
So I guess my point is, if your looking to expand your career through investment, all well and good and I recommend continuing your advancement(sitting around with 200hrs for two years is just a waste of time). However, choose carefully. If you are lucky enough to be offered a job like Chief and you have to pay for the rating - maybe not a bad plan. If this isn't an option for you, then the FI rating is a good idea. Earn money from aviation, gain valuable experience, improve skills but more than anything - network!!! Its not what you know its who you know! Where are you most likely to find network contacts - at airfields or the run of the mill job you take on to keep the bank at bay while you wait for the majic phone call. Its a long old road at times.