Originally Posted by itsmytime

While I agree with most of what you say, I don’t think all of it is people not doing their homework. Some of it certainly is, but the long wait times at the top regionals are certainly a factor also.

Any SE piston time over 1500 hours doesn’t do anything special for your resume. I think the idea of staying in your current gig for another 6-12 months waiting on a class date is a non starter for most people. A better idea is going to one of the lesser regionals, and getting some 121 experience.

If after 6 months to a year, you are misera, then put in at one of the top regionals. After proving you can pass a 121 training program, and a few hundred hours on the line, your app will go right to the top of the stack when they begin classes again.