This should be the logical progression of your career. Done any other way, you will be an awful pilot and will not make it to the big leagues.
1.) Play Flight Sim 4 hours out of the day until enrolled at college.
2.) Only enroll in a college that charges 4x the amount of money as a regular degree because the word aviation is in front of the degree name. (ie Aviation Management)
3.) Go hit on girls at previously mentioned college at parties while in full uniform epaulets and all and make sure the first words out of your mouth is..."I'm a pilot."
4.) After graduating college 100k in debt (without your CFI's) spend more money by hoping into the right seat of a turbo-prop with Key Lime Air. For about 15k they can even give you a Metroliner SIC type....YEAH.
5.) After receiving your 250 SIC turbine in a Metroliner go out and buy a 73' type. You will most def. get a job at 500 hours TT and a 737 type.
6.) Sit around for 2 months collecting unemployment and then hop on JC and create a thread complaining about how everyone else has had it so easy and how your career progression is awful just because of bad luck and not because you are a moron.
7.) Your next step is to land a job at Great Lakes making 14/hr flying in the right seat of a 1900. (You know have 150k of debt, but it doesn't matter you are flying 121 / under part 135 duty rules)
8.) Upgrade at Lakes and now make 20/hr. PIC TURBINE THOUGH FTWWZ
9.) After you get 1000hrs. PIC Turbine quit your job because that is all you will ever need. You are now ready to take the jump from a 19 seat prop to a 100+ seat jet for a legacy career.
10.) Go out and buy a 757/767 type to be more competitive.
11.) 12 months after being unemployed come back to JC and repeat step 6.
12.) Apply for Pubnat
13.) Get accepted and finish your career life as an ATC'er and start paying back all your debt.
14.) At age 60 retire and then collect off of the system, as broke as the day you started. Drive a 10yr old Toyota and lease a scummy economy apartment because that is all your retirement checks will cover while you continue to pay off your debt.
15.) Die poor, miserable, and alone
That is my 15 step program to my career. Word's to live by.