Just to clear a few things up:
I too have over 700 hours on the jet TR I bought, however its the same type that's been hit with all the mergers and administration, consequently the market is flooded with people much more experienced than I am, so it will take quite a while for these people to be whittled away before I am an attractive prospect.
To Redsnail, I agree in part. For me to go to Australia I likewise have to pay £2,000 for the visa and convert the licence. The only difference is I have no parents or grandparents who have emigrated the other way. Also if I wish to get an Australian passport, I have to live there permanently for 3 years first. I suppose the current situation is evidence of our colonial past.
I am by no means having a go at these people Redsnail, I would go the opposite way if Australia was as open to me. You must however agree that the UK is accessible for a great number of pilots, however us Brits don't have the same opportunities in other countries.
For example, if Ryanair went bust tomorrow, I'm pretty confident you wouldn't see an influx in Australasia akin to the one that followed the Ansett demise over 10 years ago. Anyone who has ever heard Easy callsigns over Brest FIR will testify to that.
The second issue relates to the particular geography of the British Isles. As a result of the proximity of the major cities and the high urban density, there are not the same requirements on general aviation as there are in countries that are vast such as the US or Aus / NZ. Yes we have stuff up to King Air size doing air ambulance work, seneca's delivering mail cheques, and various stuff kicking about the Scottish Islands however not proportional to UK pilot numbers as in the two countries mentioned above.
I also accept that 250 hour jet pilots are/were common in Europe alone, The US for example (because I know it well) looks for you to have approx. 2,000-2,500 hours before even entertaining it. As mentioned above, they have more scope to accumulate those hours working your way up.
I didn't pursue the Instructing route as some feel should come naturally. I determined that the money to attain the qualification would be better spent on my TR. I had no aptitude for it, no desire and didn't feel instructing in the UK (too many non VFR days) or flying traffic patterns would serve my ultimate goal. Do I regret this in the current climate? .... not really. As I mentioned before, I regret my choice of TR and course provider.
I bypassed the UK SE CPL and went straight to the ME, therefore I can't go for certain jobs mentioned. Do I regret this too? .... Not really, I can't continue to throw money at this career, I'm at the stage where I think its valid to suggest that I get paid to fly rather than the other way round.
CTC is also not open to me as I have a TR and hours on type, I am considered to have above the ATP scheme threshold.
I would say that I am realistic about my job chances, I do scour the well trodden websites twice daily. I know at present the circumstances of our economic slowdown. I have applied for office jobs here to keep the wolf from the door, however I am in competition with approx. 30 others, some of whom were made redundant from a similar job a few weeks ago. I also have to explain why my CV has 2 years of pilot training and what a lot of employers would consider an aspiration job, therefore long-term they know I am not a stable prospect. That combined 4 years since leaving my previous career is a hard one to sell.
The post was written by and concerned my situation, I am a UK citizen and therefore outlined my particular experiences. Unlike some tire-kickers on here, I don't second guess and pontificate.