I concur.
ATPL subjects and a MECIR help you sleep at night.
You can just head north and fly your pants off until something better comes up.
You can also take holidays and relax vs having to study your arse off for 6 weeks before heading back to work and getting flogged.
I was flying multi engine IFR also within 12 months of my first job and about 800 hours.
I had to take 6 weeks off to do my CIR and missed out on the airline boom of 07/08 as I didn't have my ATPL subjects.