Cheers SAR, I feel sorry for the guys who are out there trying that can't catch a break but none for the majority who are sitting at home waiting for Ryanair to call. Then again I have friends who are captains with Locos by now who would probably think me a failure for choosing my path but I will be on a Jet at 30, with 30 years ahead of me so whats the rush?!
Your not gonna become a millionaire doing this but I think people really struggle with that reality after a few years in the business and that has a lot to do with the amount of people who leave, that and the monotony of the job after a time. But there is a solution to that too if you are willing to face it, move to another role or airline, take a pay cut if necessary, if you find yourself 5 years in a single role then I strongly believe you should move on. This requires a flexible and understanding partner which is much harder to find than an airline job I think, there are much more experienced hands on here for that advice however.
I just wish someone had sat me down when I was 18 and said the things I have just said, it would have saved me a lot of time and tears, I spent 2.5 years working in a bar wondering why airlines weren't calling me until i woke up one day and said **** this I need to do something about this myself. I regret few things, but not spending those 2.5 years instructing is one of them. The money is crap yes but at least you are flying and in my last airline and my new one, 50% of the people on the TR courses came straight from instructor jobs so it is a way in.
Off the top of my head, friends have gotten jobs with the following over the last year:
BEA Systems
RVL Group
West Atlantic
Flybe
Skybus
Skydive Ireland
Loganair
Tag Aviation
And thats just people I know! none of them had to give the companies a dime towards their training yet crucially all of them were currently flying in one role or another