Once again lots of folk with an opinion trying to totally confuse a newbie to the industry.
At the moment, he stands as good a chance of getting a job at 21 with low hours without a degree then he does a 25 with one. Everyone who has been through the mill and who is now sitting at the pointy end will tell you that its all about the right place at the right time, or knowing somebody.
Yes it is possible to send off a CV and get lucky but unless you have a degree that is directly related to the aviation industry, all of the recruiters I know, really don't give a toss. It's whether a person holds the relevant licence, has the relevant experience required for the job, and that could be 200 hrs or 2000 hrs dependant on requirements. There are no hard and fast rules.