Desk-pilot
When I flew the turbo-prop, my life was just the same as yours, it's standard bottom of the food chain stuff! My employer knew there were lots of low-houred guys wanting your's/my seat if you don't!
I could have moved onto jets about 18 months earlier than I did (assuming i'd have been offered the job of course) but the only major recruitment based on my experience at the time was easyJet and their TRSS scheme - only one step off the bottom of the food chain!
I held out for big holiday company and big T&C's, it worked, in fact, due to a merger, 3 years down the line my T&C's improved again!
It's a very very big difference indeed depending upon who you work for!!
Yep - very basically:
I don't do Standby's, I sell my days off back for extra dosh; I get 11-13 days off a month; I'm home every night with one deep night flight on average every 6 weeks (seems base dependant); I get sector pay AND flight pay; I have more leave than I know what to do with; only a year 4 FO, my P60 said I earn't in-excess of £60k; naturally my summer's are busy, my winters are in need of a serious hobby - yearly hours probably 600-700 - about what I was doing on a turbo-prop!!!!
It simply doesn't get any better, will it last? I personally doubt it! Will I have a job in 12 months? Hope so, but who knows - could lose a lot of the above to keep my job! Every man's grass and all that...
You've got a good job, it is very different depending on which market sector you're employed in but when the time comes be choosy, you'll be well placed.
As an aside, after a few years of following a 'magenta line', I guarantee you'll be missing your turbo-prop and spending your new found wealth at the flying club or on aircraft shares...!!!!!!