The original poster fairly eloquently and openly described how how was suckered into the profession and concluded with a warning to others. I don't think he deserves some of the vitriol splashed across this thread. Some of you lads clearly paid for the ten minute argument when five minutes would suffice.
I have also gone public, to a certain extent, with how I enter the profession and my concerns for my future within its hallowed ranks. I've taken flak but accept that much of it is fairly fired in my direction. Some of it is not.
I started training in late 2006 after carefully researching the profession by way of the Internet, by attending roadshows and, most importantly, by speaking to pilots flying the line. I spoke in depth with Captains and FOs at BA, Monarch, Thomson, Thomas Cook, Globespan, Titan, Ryanair, Cathay and others before I committed myself to any training. I am still friends with many of them.
Some of these guys were involved in management, one or two close to retirement, and included in this mix were both people who had funded their own training after other careers and ex-Hamble cadets. All these gentlemen were positive about joining the profession. All supported my final decision to join Ryanair in 2009 when the recession had both started and bitten hard (though it was the last resort and I'm not proud of it).
As a result, while I have been personally blamed for the downward spiral in T&Cs throughout the worldwide aviation industry, at least I did all the research before I spent any money and I don't feel that I had many realistic options. I chose to ignore the sales patter from CTC, OAA and their ilk even though the employment statistics reflected the general feeling within the industry. I didn't want to risk so much money and at the time I just wanted to fly 'aeroplanes' rather than only settling for 'shiny jets'.
However, I could take this altruistic and rather romantic attitude because I had spent 7 years in another highly-trained and lucrative profession before making the step. I was financially sound and am married to a professional lady. I was not risking my family's house. I was not risking my future.
As it turns out, I don't know whether I was lucky or not to get a job with Ryanair within months of leaving my FTO with my ticket. It is a poisoned chalice to be linked to that outfit! But I have earned a reasonable wage despite the awful T&Cs that MOL shoves down our throats. I also have enough hours for command. Yet I really pity anybody joining this company, or indeed profession, these days. I nevertheless see some talented and very personable cadets. Maybe they wouldn't all have passed Hamble selection, but modern jets are easy to fly to a reasonable standard and airmanship is primarily learned through experience. Some of the most experiences Captains with whom I fly still haven't 'got it'.
Had I done my research anytime post 2007 I would NOT have joined the aviation profession. I think the original poster's warning and the contributions of many on this thread should be included in the outside of any FTO brochure much as the cigarette industry must now warn of the dangers of their addictive product.