When I got my initial CFI there were a ton of furloughed regional FOs out there looking for work. The flight schools had their pick of the litter, and unless you were an internal product of their institution, you could count on needing at least a little experience to get an interview. Transpac wanted CFI/CFII/MEI and 200 dual given to get an interview, and that was the standard among those type of schools.

Fast forward to today, and it really is a buyers market. I got an ad from Transac not too long ago offering a $5k sign on bonus and $1k for referrals. Feast or famine my friend.