IFR is important of course but it is really easy when you get a few hundred or thousand hours as experience...
I think when it comes to jobs and particularly sim rides, IFR flying is a bit more than flying radials. Thousands of hours VFR, teaching straight and level becomes quite irrelevant when put under the pressure of a sim ride, emergency management,the need to have strict SOPs and good CRM (such as task allocation, which is a bit more than being nice to people). As for saying it is easy... I guess flying an ILS is. Managing a flight the way commercial operators (airlines and the likes) expect it, is something else.
Frankly, less hours in the right environment is much better.
Sure, a job is a job and being an FI is better than being unemployed but don't do too much of it (thousands of hours wouldn't look so good at all, to say the least).
Just like Single Pilot Ops is better than being an FI but don't do too much of it.
And Multi Crew, light turbo prop is better than the two above but.... You guessed it, don't do too much of it (Light turbo prop operators tend to be a bit "flexible" with SOPs, EU OPS)
Depending on your career goals, all the above stuff are good but too much of any and you will fall in the category of people, airlines (and large Biz operators), will have some suspicion about. Plus, the older you get, the more aware of that you should be.
[n]VnavLotus[/b], don't get me wrong. I don't disagree with things like
it is about experience, skills, relationship, confidence etc.
.
It is true, it will be valuable and might even make the difference at the interview but it is far from being enough. yet, combined with the right experience, it will probably make you a nice guy to fly with.
To the unemployed snobs who look down on FIs, please don't. They may have demonstrated a better judgement than many, by chosing the right option once their CPL ticket in the pocket. And they have job., they are employed as pilots...
To the FI who thinks, he is better because he flies circles, in VMC, in a 152 then don't. This could be your downfall.
To all of you, just be smart with you career. Do what it takes to keep or get quality experience, to make your CV really appealing.
As always, the road to success is.... Not just one. For each pilot there is a way which will work and everywhere we failed, someone else might have succeeded. It is worth pursuing as many options you encounter or ideas you get and be very persistant all the way (but not a pain in the bum).
Good luck all !