If you have the spare cash you could gamble with a type rating, but i reckon you'd have a better chance with CTC than trying to interest Easy on your own. And could one say the same about Qatar now? although I'd be surprised if Qatar relied only on CTC for its recruitment needs in the future.
So at the end of the day, is joining CTC the only viable option now for those who are still eligible?
As for whether jets are easier or harder to operate, i'm sure we'd get the hang of it just as well as, if not quicker than, a 200 hr topgun!