captainng,
I agree that recency is important, but as mentioned earlier in this thread there are other options besides going for FR at once. I think training and working as an FI is one thing which deserves to be mentioned in this context. It might take some time and it won't necessarily lead to more instrument, ME or multicrew hours for a while, but several young pilots have successfully taken the road as FIs before. From what I hear the experience is valued by some operators and may open some extra doors.
My license is well over a year old. I'm going for an FI(A) rating now, but I'm also considering FR or other operators as a cadet. I'm getting pretty tired after a year of odd jobs and little flying, but I hope to get something going as an instructor. While I might be a bit naive and ignorant about some things at the moment, I believe that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Most of the operators I've been in contact with this far seem to have been more interested in knowing my total hours and little else besides other minimum requirements.
Last edited by LS-4; 5th Oct 2012 at 11:58.