I would have to agree with you jbr76.
I only earned my CPL last year and many of the students coming through with me, airlines were all they where aiming for. I am not saying this is a bad thing. I will no doubt end up there one day, but first I would like to not only have some fun but do some 'real' hands on flying in GA.
I have been in GA since and I am absolutely loving it. Sure pays not the best, and you sometimes are living in some, well, interesting places, but, hell, isn't it fun.
Personally, for me there wouldnt be anything more boring than going straight from a school to a 3rd Officer on long haul RPT. (No offence to the boys and girls doing it) Just I would like to experience aviation first. And I have no intention of rushing through it. However being able to say "I'm a QF driver flying a 747 to London" has somewhat more of a status pull than "I'm flying Charter in a 206 out of a community in the Territory." This I think is what some of the people I know, are chasing, the status.
Everybody has their own career goals, and obviously what they want to achieve out of their career. All that really is differing is the road enroute to obtaining them.