What some of the earlier posters have said is not "negative" in any sense. It is the truth. Many of the jobs that 250 hour "wet commercial" pilots would of had available to them in the past (banner towing, aerial survey, traffic watch, check-flying, etc...) are simply not hiring low-timers anymore for various reasons. And a lot of places want 500TT for those jobs now. Not to mention that most places only want to hire 500TT CFIs with a II and an MEI. And there just aren't that many students around anymore to fill the coffers. Jobs for low time pilots have become extremely competitive and a lot of it is who you know. I have managed to get my foot in the door at a couple places but it took some serious leg-work and a willingness to move anywhere. You need to ask yourself if this is for you because it is more stressful than being a salaried teacher I would imagine. Flying is fun, but everything else about it is not. You have to put up with a lot of BS. If you are adamant about getting to that 1500TT as quickly as possible, I would suggest going to a flight school that has a lot of foreign students that will give you a job when your training is done. I don't know of any in Ft. Lauderdale but I know of several in Daytona and St. Augustine. Best of luck, and make smart decisions. They do count.