I did 1989 thru 2004 instructing (albeit very advanced and well paid at the end as a JAA Head of Training) , before hitting jets....
Started in YSBK , then moved through 4 countries, before landing in the USA (all as a instructor!) Now a USA citizen as well as Oz citizen and working on contract with a very nice 6 figure salary in a jet with less than 500hrs on its airframe now (the salary is due to the fact the flying is in a very backward country... )
I will say I have never been without a flying job since starting, BUT I have seen many people give up as they realised that flying that shiny Boeing or Airbus just wasnt all it was cut out to do... I could probably name at least 20 people right now who got out after getting their CPL's and without a job falling into their laps they left for other industries.