I got my CFI in 1991 and eagerly put my name on the list at the local FBO.
Didn't get many students though - three dutch fellows were living in a pop-up camper behind the hangar, sweeping floors and answering phones for free, and they got first crack at any prospective students.
They were nice guys, and I admired them for working so hard to be professional pilots. I did resent, however, that I couldn't cross the pond and work in their country.