Well if I spent 80 thousand pounds on a CPL/IR and then 50 thousand USD's on a type rating and line training at a very average airline, I would want to be in the RHS at my next airline.
Cathay for a while there only required a CPL and 250 hours to be an SO. If I had spent the sort of money mentioned above and with 1500 hours NG in my book went and worked for Cathay, I would say I dropped back a step.
I applied to Cathay and got through the interviews but have given up on them for a while now. I'm not bitter I am just saying if I had 1500 NG hours I wouldn't even have bothered applying to them at all.
Get it?