Earl: one of our FOs retired a few years ago from the USAF and became an Atlas FO, then 747 Captain (-200). It sounded like Atlas only hires pilots and FEs for the US base(s) who already have some retirement money coming in each month from the military. The airline can therefore recruit people who will work for a very modest salary without many benefits, because the applicants are already "subsidized" by their retirement checks. Many legs were spent deadheading with no pay credit etc. Coming straight from military service almost none would have any previous exposure to airline ops-sort of like a block of fresh clay to be molded for the first time?
He told me that the one consolation was having numerous layovers lasting two or more days in various foreign cities.
A few nights ago in Newark (EWR), a 747 Captain with Connie Kalitta (still based mostly in YIP?) told me that they've hired a number of laid-off pilots. Whether on the 747 or Lears etc, I don't know. This was almost 0100 in the hotel and the guy was checking out and ready to go over for their preflight for a nonstop to AMS. It sounded like a long duty period after sunrise!
Good luck out there.