Actually,
jarjam it's not as simple as you'd like to think. While you, as a current instructor, would love to think that airline DFOs would choose you over an SO with similar hours (as no SO will have 250 hours when they go looking for their next job), I suspect that the reality would be somewhat different.
SOs are type-rated on the aircraft they act as cruise-pilot in. They must carry out sim checks and flight checks as FO, and they will be given regular base training by the company's training staff. So their hours are more relevant than you may appreciate. If I was presented with a 1500-hour SO current on, say, A330s, and a 1500-hour FI current on PA28s, and I was looking for new FOs for my A320 operation, the choice would be a no-brainer!
However, I'm not aware of any SO positions on the market at the moment, with the possible exception of Cathay Pacific. They are still subject to a recruiting ban by the unions of IFALPA, as far as I am aware (check the Far East forum), so I would not advise going there.
Now, if the question had been whether an airline would prefer to recruit a 250-hour CPL or a 1500-hour FI for their
SO positions, the answer would of course be different.
Scroggs Virgin/Wannabes Moderator
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Edit: Brian, I've just realized that you are in the US, where the concept of a Second Officer is different from the rest of the world. I assume that you are talking about a pilot operating as Flight Engineer? If that's the case, I would recommend flight insruction as probably the better option - but I would talk to people experienced in your part of the world before I made any irrevocable decision!
Scroggs