Guys,
Even if you have the money available after your (f)ATPL and are willing to take on all that being a Ryan cadet entails, dont assume that you will be given an assessment.
There are nothing like the same number of applicants getting into Ryan as there were a year or two ago. When I was busy with my PPL in 2007 several of the guys at my flight school were coming to the end of the IR. I know five of them applied to Ryan, those five are now on the line.
However, times change, I know of quite a few people (myself included) who applied earlier this year having completed MCC, only two of those applicants even got offered an assessment, one got offered a place on the course, the other didnt. Myself and quite a few others didnt even get the phonecall inviting us for interview, after we had been referred to Ryan via CAE.
In the current climate I really believe you need a certain degree of luck at the application stage as we certainly all had pretty similar training records (good pass rates/exam scores) and some got an interview but most of us didnt.
Six months on and an FI rating, still looking to earn my first penny from aviation as I sit typing this in my parents house (sold my house to pay for the (f)ATPL!)
Please dont pin all your hopes on a Ryan job or even an assessment after training. Even though its very tempting when you see your fellow training buddy's achieving what you worked just as hard for.
I'm hoping for some instructional work (currently on 'stand by' with my local school) then I can start building the elusive hours/experience, really looking forward to teaching and the challenges it will bring. I just want that initial break to get started.
Overall though, I really enjoyed all of the flight training, made some great friends in the process, but it has cost me more than I ever imagined and occasionally the feeling of regret does wash over me (especially regarding the financial aspect and future career prospects).
Its been a long slog, I just hope its worth it one day as the last six months havent been fun at all, despite keeping myself busy with some engineering work. Being obsessed with getting a flying job isnt very healthy and my personal life has suffered as a result. Once the euphoria of IR/CPL passes wear off, reality comes crashing down. There's no way I'm turning back now though.
Jon