It wasn't so very long ago that a new pilot wouldn't get looked at with less that 1500 hours unless they were ex military.
The old route of PPL, CPL and then general aviation/air taxi, building useful hours as PIC on light twins etc., would appear to be coming back.
The only 250 hour pilots on an airliner flight deck were second officers coming from a cadet programme. Only a personal view but I believe that gaining 1500 hours out there in general aviation is pure gold.