You're on the money Neville with your last 2 paragraphs!
The fastest way to progress through the industry is to go to GA get the hours get into an airline DE then progress...
That "hopping over" others, progressing through a company, is happening everywhere and "pigeon-holing" in-experienced drivers is alive and well, as it locks/traps in labour in a company.
Try not to be a part of it and take control of your own career as it's about to go ballistic boys, very shortly
...
China has just reached double-digit growth again, India is back on the boil after much "moving of the chairs", all Middle East carriers are still hunting for crew and many big International operators are ramping up their recruitment departments for action from this Nov/Dec!
All you need to do is look at all the contract work out there on the websites right now.