Welcome to APC, we are a support group for struggling career builders.

If I were you I would go military, hands down the best way to get into civil aviation. Otherwise you are going to have to build hours through CFI and a string of slow, underpaid, time building jobs. Nobody likes to hear CFI, but even bottom feeder jobs require 500 hours and that's for seriously low end work like pipeline flying and aerial surveys.

You may be able to drum up some action for $50 a day doing skydiver flying maybe, go to the local drop zone and pester the owner about when is his next opening coming. He'll say get lost, but your face will be in his memory, and when you come back 6 months later with 50 more hours he might say ok let's give this fellow a try. That's how you do it, and it is SLOW GOING. It took me 8 years to get any serious time worked up, and by that I only mean Part 135 minimums.

I would suggest getting serious about CFI-CFII- and when that is done start looking for a job with a twin, then get your MEI. You have many years of time building to do unless you get those teaching certs. Get a job waiting tables, installing roofs, or driving a taxi if you need the money for a CFI- it is very important to teach if you are going through the civilian side of things.

Good luck!