Shanks is merely repeating what I often tell him; and what I tell him is based on my experience in this field for the past few years.
My actual quote is "Professional pilots are pure products of providence or pull".
I know this sounds at best undigestible to all concerned, whether they're employed or not. The unemployed ones don't want to believe it because it leaves them with very little hope. The employed ones instinctively know it to be true but spend their entire lifetimes shouting themselves hoarse denying it, because it challenges their own stupid sense of false self-esteem.
All of us want a recognition of our own honor, passion, merit and intelligence. While I or you recognize all this, the industry unfortunately does not. When the time comes, the best of them all are all selected side by side with the worst, merely as heads to fill up empty seats; you are NUMBERS with licenses, not men with qualities.
There is NOTHING to distinguish one from the other.
NO special preference or treatment is given to the "good" ones.
They will all get the SAME pay, perks and career growth as the f@#king riffraff rabble in their batch from some f*&king hellhole central Indian desert village who can barely spell his name out, who passed his 12th std in ARTS from a local district board on the 4th attempt after bribing the board, and got fake Physics & Math certificates.
Bottom line: you may be hardworking and capable, but that is not what is going to get you that coveted job.