TheBeak: I dont understand what you mean when you say i missed the point about working hard and being selected to do something, can you clarify?
Anyway joking aside, my story is that i started training when the industry was booming not too long ago. During that time i knew people who were getting 4, 5 and more interviews after getting their ir. However by the time i finished oil cost around 150 and the recession was just hitting - and the airlines had stopped hiring.
I considered doing an instructors rating, because instructing had always interested me. However a couple of friends of mine that had not made it through the ryanair selection process had gotten instructor ratings and could not find any work. I sent hundreds of cvs and got absolutely zero interviews....except one of course. After passing the ryanair selection process i was pretty happy about it considering i had several friends who didnt make it and were now totally out of job options just like i would have been if i had been rejected.
Unfortunately the reality of having to pay for the rating wasnt quite so pleasing - so yes, the bank extended my loan on the basis that the type rating would lead to employment with ryanair. I'm not ashamed to admit it, i now get paid to fly 737s and shudder at the thought of the situation 99% of graduates find themselves in.
Would you have done differantly in my position? I have no qualifications other than my licences and would have faced most likely several years if not longer (or never) of waiting for another job opportunity. The type rating itself was tough....hard, hard work - but i made it through and passed the lst first time without having to pay for any extra training through sheer hard work and determination. I certainly felt shafted not getting at least some form of salary while i was putting in all that blood, sweat and tears so that i could go out afterwards and make money for ryanair - but hey, i had NO other options.
So there you go, im not ashamed - that was what i was faced with when i qualified and that isnt my fault or the fault of any other poor chump with 200hrs and a frozen atpl.