Echo the point about not working *near* the flightdeck if your aim is to sit in it.
It seems logical that being a dispatcher or cabin crew or Operations officer or cabin crew might help you make the leap into the flightdeck with your CPL.
Rubbish.
What really happens is that your manager knows you're less likely to leave and less likely to rock the boat than your colleague because you have your eyes on a higher prize. You end up working harder and being more highly prized IN YOUR PRESENT ROLE and thus worse off than were you just some random Joe applying for a flightdeck job.
In then years of working in a rapidly expanding airline I know of only 4 cabin crew who have made it into the flightdeck and only one of them was an internal appointment.
Go get the best paid job you can. Use the money to stay current or to save for a SSTR. If that means selling insurance over the phone then go do that. Stay well clear of airports.
WWW