It’s a leap of faith... Same for me in 2013, I was current, but the hiring was just starting to pick up back then, with lots of competition. I told my wife, we’re rolling the bones, we’ll either be a hero (hired at the front of the wave) or a goat (unemployed) I gave my separation notice with no jobs lined up. It was not easy, and was the most stressful time of my life. I was turned down for the reserve unit where I was stationed. Then picked up to the fly the same jet elsewhere about a month later. Got my US Airway (knowing it would actually be American) job offer 23 days before my terminal separation date.
I can now hold captain and make double what I would on active duty (as an FO), live where I want, and am much happier than I ever was on active duty.
Yes, it could have gone bad, and I feel very fortunate every day. If you can line up a reserve job, it makes it very doable. Prepare your wife and cut your budget to the bone (I’m talking no cable, never buying Starbucks, etc). I’m not going to lie, the first year was tough, I hated the job for awhile, made $40 an hour, commuted to both jobs. But it got better quickly.
I have a great wife and that makes a huge difference, she was on board. I sold her on the vision, and we were a team.