A long time since i have posted on this forum and was in the first job hunting market but nothing seems to have changed.
Got my fatpl in 1999 with almost 300hrs! (modular and upgrade). With plan A failing (contact and promises from small regional airline meant nothing when they stopped all recruitment) spent most of 99 recieving reject letters - very demoralising.
Again most of my friends felt the same about the training organisations as you do now because all their promises of job hunting help, contacts, interviews etc faded to nothing on graduation.
MCC was just coming in so paid for that to help market myself. result nothing. Most Chief Pilots were unaware of it and when they were decided to conduct it as part of their own training.
At the time there were oportunities to get your own TR (shed 360etc) which a few of my collegues did, again to no avail.
Eventually took up instructing and this was the life saver the hours built up meant that I was eligable for the survey/air taxi market this meant that i was in a secure job when 9/11 came along and 2 years later in the right place for a regional TP job eventually leading to LH seat.
Facts - then it took most of my collegues nearly 2 years to get an airline job, with a recession this will be much much longer.
The training organisations did and always will try and sell an extra course a special asset of the school etc that will make you stand out from the crowd.
MOL making you pay for everything including the interview started some time ago, however beware paying for a TR that is not part of an airlines recruitment procedure. By that I mean I would not recomend buying a 737 rating and using that to market yourself - most training departments are wary of someone who has been trained elswhere to diferant standards.
Military axiom - no plan survives contact with the enemy, but in our business no plan survives contact with reality.
Hopefully your post will open the eyes for others before they spend large some of cash - but I doubt it.
As others have said: keep current, keep your finger on the pulse job wise and good luck.
