I did CPL then instructor rating, instructed for about two years then did the IR when I could afford it and am now quite happy in an airline job.
Apologies for the slight thread hijack but RTN11, out of interest, how do people typically finance this? Given the less-than-spectacular earnings of instructors presumably you're not funding the IR out of your earnings, therefore using savings? A lot of posters on here seem to question how you could even afford the renewals of an MEIR on an instructor's wage, let alone the course itself!
As much as I'd like to instruct - my plan at this stage is to get all the expensive stuff done while in my current career before the inevitable pay drop to instruct!