WWW
I agree with what you say. The point I was making however, was that first time passes will help in getting an interview not necessarily the job.
If you get to the interview stage of the application process then its down to personality, at the sim assessment your flying ability and learning skills.
At the application form / CV stage all these aspects have yet to come to the fore and all are roughly equal. If you can put down that you have first time passes it cant hurt in securing an interview.
Having written that though, I wouldn't worry too much about some failures as, as you say, it doesnt seem to hold a lot of people back.