GUTTN,
I couldn't agree more with what you said, I qualified about 2 years ago and couldn't find an airline job, I could have gone down the route of financially crippling myself to pay for a type rating and kept my fingers crossed but instead am now working for a small operator flying multi pistons doing all sorts of work. Its not the fault of the newly qualified people out there that they come out of flight school with an expectation of a jet job, its the fault of the training organisations who offer false hope to those starting!! What is wrong with working your way through the industry, slowly gaining experience until you can go for the jet job on your own merit and not the size of your bank balance!
Back in the glory days of aviation it was an honour to fly a big jet and not seen as a God given right, as I say though I don't think you can blame the new guys as they have been fed untruths and been told time and time again that paying your way is the only option.
I know this has been said time and time again on many forums but all of the undercutting and trying to jump the queue going on right now will only come back and slap us all in the face in years to come when you lose your job to a young upstart who has enough money to pay for a type rating and work for less.
This is no way intended to slag anybody but to show people there other options other than pay to fly, have a little patience and hold firm in your convictions, you will not regret it and you will have a brilliant time on the way up to the jets (i certainly wouldn't change a thing).
Ding