av8r76:
Our company had a sit down with two guys earlier this year who had been with us for over a year and told that they were not going to see an airplane because they treated their situation as a given that if they just waited for "their number to come up" they would get an airplane.
Eric Janson pointed it out that new pilots feel some sort of entitlement, and this came through during their year on the ramp. So if they have that attitude on the ramp, then are they actually going to put the work into becoming a professional pilot or are they going to learn just enough to pass the ride?
Of course, not all guys have to wait a year if they show that they have the right attitude. To this point, my company just put a guy into an airplane after only spending three months on the ramp because he showed up, busted his a** and showed a commitment to learning and professionalism. The guys up the ladder obviously felt that he had shown that he could be trusted with a multi-million dollar airplane and he starts ground school next week.
You do a good job and show you are willing to work, you get a flying job quick. You show that you're not willing to put in work and that you are just "biding your time" then the company will do the same.
Again, why should a company spend thousands of dollars on your training if they can't trust that you are actually going to be professional about it? I guess the flip side is to ensure that you are going to be professional about it by making you pay for your type rating.