I largely agree with Maximum, although it certainly sounds like he works pretty hard! I can't say I've ever had to do a 5 sector day, but working in the UK charter market 2 is usually all we have to do. Not all jobs are as demanding as Maximum's although there are probably many out there that are even more demanding. 900 hours a year sounds like very little but when you take into account report times, turnaround times, travel times etc you start to get the correct picture.
Flying professionally is different that pleasure flying for all the reasons outlined in previous posts. I enjoy my job but there are many days when I am not looking forward to going to work. Sometimes because I am exhausted, sometimes because I know I am going to be sitting beside someone difficult to get along with (and it's really not fun when you're rostered alongside someone like this for weeks on end). And believe it or not there are times when crewing try to take the p*ss and put you on a flight and you actually find yourself diving into the MoA trying to find a loophole to get out of having to do the flight. Someone desperate to get into the industry probably wouldn't understand that.
Like any other profession there are those you come across who are bitter and twisted and those who are insanely dedicated, but most fall somewhere in between. It is a great job, there are really no jobs that are perfect anyway. It is important to realise that you will be bored a lot, that your job will be under threat a lot (this industry is more volatile than most), you will be away from home a lot (and usually not on some sun-drenched beach but stuck in an airport hotel miles from anywhere) and - yes - you do have to listen to management speak about synergies and other such banal things.
Over the years I have taken an informal poll of the captains I have flown with and asked them if they would have done anything else. Even the most jaded, bitter captains said that no, they still think they make the right career decision because they think other jobs would have been worse. So there you have it. Just don't expect to look forward to coming to work every day for the rest of your working life because you will be disappointed.
Lazlo