Ok, so I'm one of those often criticised low-hour types who has paid my way through an integrated course with associated £50k loan (and a realistic plan for paying it back if I didn't get an airline job!). I was unlucky, things were rosy on the aviation world when I started, but started going downhill a couple of months before I finished. Since then, I've spent several months fruitlessly looking for jobs. I quickly came to the realisation that aviation is going to be a non-starter for some years to come.
As such, I'm looking to other areas for employment and am confident I'll find something soon and have another back up if I don't!
I've also started an FI rating - not as a means to find a job, but more to improve my skill set and my flying ability. I know I'll be able to get some part time work out of it, which will be a 'nice-to-have'. What I'll definitely be getting is a life skill which I'll have with me throughout my flying career (whatever that may be!).
My thinking is that I'll keep my flying skills up and keep renewing my ME-IR, whilst doing a 'normal' job. Then, when the market picks up, I'll re-assess.
There's only so long you can sit around hoping for that call for a flying job...