jpointer123, your right. Perhaps do a PPL with a few ratings and a share in a plane.
Then you have a proper paying career and a good hobby without being screwed like many others. Saying that, the schools are selling courses and many going into aviation do not always know it can take years to get a proper paying job.
I have been flying 10 years and 2 years ago completed all my commercial / IR training etc. Could not get any work, stayed in my previous career and fly commercially part-time whilst waiting for a full time position which may take another 2 - 4 years to clear through.
You will also find companies like EZY have contracts with CTC and its near impossible to apply for a job directly to a operator.
Generally speaking, it was the same when EZY were offering perm jobs through CTC a few years ago. So such companies would feed their cadets in via such contracts between companies and no one else would have a chance a applying directly with no experience to EZY.
Another example is Ryanair, you apply via Oxfords SAE or CAE Amsterdam and hopefully meet the correct profile.
Their's suppose to be a looming pilot shortage. Their is no shortage of pilots, its going to be a shortage of pilots not type rated and experienced. So really it will be a a lack of pilots being able to pay for a type rating to gain employment if more experienced guys leave for the Middle east, Asia and emerging Chinese market place in the next few years.
If more people said no to type ratings or PTF scheme's, operators accountants and commercial decision makers would have to do something and start paying for training or bonding and offering better T&C's to be able crew their aircraft
Sadly companies like CTC have spoiled it for all over the past 10 years regarding T&C's or for those like myself who want to apply to an airline directly.
Lastly, you often hear of the impending retirements and need for recruitment, that has been mentioned prior to recession and some of us are still waiting to see that happen. Hopefully in a few years it will, but we are still waiting for it