xx621 - mate with all due respect - if you are asking questions like this on forums then you might as well forget it.
I suspected there would be such a post at some point. I have noticed how some folk seem to think that unless you sell the house and kidney, buy a TR or two with the proceeds, then happily work for hardly no pay or conditions but happily do so out of a dogged determination to be a CP, you are somehow not showing the right stuff and/or have insufficient commitment.
Forgive me if that's not where your coming from. Personally, I think it's healthy and wise to question chosen strategies and seek out information which contradicts your reasoning. I'm prepared to put all the time and effort in (7 months ground school to date alongside young family and full time job), but I'm simply too boringly sensible to entertain significant financial risk in becoming qualified.
Hence my first post. I'm attracted to flying commercially because I believe it will be challenging and rewarding one, and ultimately it was always my first, ideal world, choice of career. That could be FI work, air taxi, airline, or anything where there is more purpose, and complexity, to the flight beyond a 2400ft bimble. However, if I ask 100 CPs from a wide variety of flying jobs and 90% say it's a crap, well that's strong evidence which should at least be considered. Reading through this forum there is an abundance of naysayers. I'm simply inviting the yaysayers to speak up. If there aren't any, well - that's just as useful to know.....please don't hesitate to challenge my comments, it is after all a forum....
Thanks for the posts so far - really good reads. Cheers.