That £25k would buy you an instructor's rating, a lot of twin time, a lot of sim time and the rent on a nice apartment in Spain for a long time.
So the big boys want you to buy their type rating... they won't be singing that tune in a year or two's time, as WWW predicts.
Think a little bit outside the box (gotta love that phrase).
Every time you listen to the traffic news, someone is flying that Seneca. Who ? Why aren't you on the list to fly it ? Haven't you found out who operates those flights, who needs those pilots ?
Who flies those corporate twins and jets.... maybe they're short of an F/O or two. Maybe you could phone up the CAA, get their (free) list of every G-registered aircraft in the UK and start writing letters. Maybe your first job will be your first command with MultiMegaNational PLC. as their corporate pilot.
Who's flying that night-mail in a Duchess or that special delivery in a C-310 ? Which photographic companies need real CPL holders to fly their 182s now the CAA is coming down real hard on the non-CPL revenue flights ?
Which companies are hired by archaeological companies to do those surveys, the map makers, the road builders........
Which Welsh electronics company have a Commander on their books.......
Why aren't your 300/400/500/whatever hours CVs on these peoples tables ?
You may well have your eye on the RHS of a jet, but don't forget that GA is alive and kicking in this country, and will serve you well when the upturn in recruitment comes.
"Ya, I'm Justin... just done Oxford, where's my job ?"
"Hi, I'm FlyPuppy - 500 hours C-310 single pilot night freight, 250 hours multi-crew on Lears...."