RYR are the fast track scheme into the biz. I would have been happy to take it had I been called. But they never called.
There are jobs out there but working yourself up to the airlines is a lot more painful as you progress through the ranks ever so much slower.
I had effed around two years in the GA but eventually succeeded when I got hired by a major, against all odds. Modular training, early 30s. Boy it was tough! Keeping up faith was the hardest of all. In fact, worse than my IR training!
So far I have not had to pay for anything, all been paid for by the company. No, I had not known someone on the inside before I got hired. All down to my own efforts.
That constant battle between pro and contra RYR is really good stuff to read, pretty entertaining actually, however it leads to nowhere. Some people don't mind paying for the rating, some people do. Personally, I favor a company putting it out first, as there's only very little motivation for them to get rid of the investment again and that's great to know.