To Be or Not To Be......
Since comments are being solicited on the merits/demerits of getting a 737 type rating with a certain FTO and I have a lttle experience, I thought I would share it with you all...for what it's worth.
Basically, I agree with all the posts re the business angle, the job situation etc. The single over-riding factor in spending your hard-earned money (let alone any bank loan!) is this: will this new qualification, without the experience, enhance your cv and increase your chances of landing your dream job? The answer is, of course, yes and no. It is a personal, individual decision that only YOU can make. People's circumstances are different, just as their goals in life. For some, it would enhance their overall qualifications, but for others and as a previous post mentioned, it would kill them! Or @ the very least, burn a huge hole in your pocket.
I don't know much about Bond/Astraeus but from what I've read, they certainly sound ethical and they appear to vet the candidates prior to taking the money and then provide quality training. So, on that basis, if you had decided to go ahead and do it, this organisation seems like a good bet.
Finally, I will just say that as an ex-pat in the US, I found myself jobless in the last recession (experienced and with a 737 type rating on my CAA ATPL, given a FAA CPL & then gained a full FAA ATP but with an MEL endorsement only) and came very close to signing on the dotted line several times (there are more 737 FTO here than any where else in the world - and all vying for your business). The advice I was given is the one I mentioned above & simply put, I was not convinced that getting a TR was going to do anything for me. The logic was that if my experience on type was not good enough to get through the door, what real difference would a bit of paper do? I spent my money on all my FAA flight instructor certificates (a lot cheaper!) & went back to instructing for a while, then bounced back. I never regretted making that decision although I did agonize for some time.
The ironic thing is that I am, once again, out of work and the situation is so bad here (approx. 9000 qulaified pilots pounding the pavement) that the US govt has given experienced pilots funding to get other type ratings to make them more marketable. I did a 737NG 15-day type rating to get it on my FAA certificate (already had the experience on an EU licence) in Feb this year. I enjoyed the course, no guarantees were made or implied but I still have no job - and this time the government paid me to do it!!!. Moral of the story: it's all a crap shoot; it will work for some but not others. If you do it, do your homework and go into it with your eyes open.
Good luck to you all - you might just need it!