Hello!
His dudeness: BTW I won´t employ any of you self funding lot. And I sure hope many other DO´s / Chief pilots think as I do.
They might think so, but unlike you they may not be in a position to act as they think. And if the management can save 20.000 Euros by employing a type-rated or self funded pilot, most chief pilots/postholders will have to do what their management wants them to. I know that you have the guts to risk your own job defending your principles, but others have a mortgage to pay and children at school - so principles will come second place.
Regarding the original question: Was it a mistake? We will know in two or three years. If the current crisis will be forgotten by then, you will have found a better job with better conditions. If business is no better then than it is now, you might just have thrown away your last chance for a place in the cockpit. Who knows.
For many years I used to preach the same gospel to my students as "
His dudeness". "
Never ever pay for your flying". "
Never ever pay for a type rating." "
Never fly for less than they would pay you at McDonalds." And so on. But now the year 2009 is nearly over. Since two years, nine out of ten of our students can't find work anywhere. Those unlucky ones that finished two years ago probably never will get eployed as pilots. They did not the chance to gain any flying experience since they got their license and now, there are plenty of younger pilots with the same (or better:
without the same) experience on the market. So my preaching goes a little different now and is more like this: "
You already have invested between 50 and 70.000 euros. Spend another 15.000 now and start gaining the necessary experience for a good job - or wait for your magic prince to kiss you awake in one or five or ten years. If ever. The choice is yours..."
Greetings, Max