Very glad I found this thread.
I was considering spending£100k with Pilot Training College in order to become a pilot. I was told how there is a massive boom in the Commercial Airline industry and that there was a surge in the demand for Pilots. Instead there seems to be thousands looking for a job.
Because of this I will now only consider a sponsored/ mentored cadetship. Anything else seems silly. If there's no job at the end of it then it's pointless.
I didn't realize how much the airline industry has been hit by the recession. A decent job is just very hard to get for young, newly qualified people regardless of what industry it is in. Therefore I think working for yourself is the best way forward.