Just getting your licence is not enough - you need hours on top, and quality hours at that. One solution (thinking out of the box), if you had the kind of money needed burning a hole in your pocket, is to buy your own helicopter, fly your ar$e off and sell it afterwards, having obtained a PPL first, of course. You can self-study for the CPL exams (In Canada and USA, you would need a recommendation from an instructor first).
Not so sure about JARs, but they keep changing anyway. Whatever you do, get a class 1 medical first, as all the training in the world is useless without it. If I think of anything else I will edit this message. Good luck!
Message to mods: Could we have a FAQ section where this sort of basic question could be answered? I would be happy to contribute something!
phil