Everyone always thinks rolling thunder is only for the senior and if you can't get all your days off in a row at the beginning of the month then all hope is lost.

But the junior can easily move many days off towards the end of the month, and they'll be "senior" for their first (and maybe second and third, etc) GS's before the seniors will because the seniors already got a bunch. Plus, and this is the key, all the PB days will then go into the bank which can be used to strategically block you from most trips in a subsequent month...unless they, too, are a GS.

If a category is slammed and GS's are pretty common, but you're not getting them because you're junior, flipping the script is an easy way to cut in line. You just have to work hard for no extra money the first 2-3 weeks for a month or three. Once you get it going though, it's just as lucrative as the seniors. You also have to evaluate what GS's you want and when and compare that to what's available. Sometimes the best thing a junior pilot can do is pass on a particular GS (shorter ones, early releases, etc) and let the seniors gobble them up, which only makes you more senior for later, much more lucrative ones.

The key to all that isn't precise bidding or knowing how to code PBS/PCS. The key is psychology. You will need to be flexibile and your family will need to understand you will need to be flexibile. Once you get it going, you will be working less days and making way more. In the trough months you can drop sporadic reserve days to the point where you're hardly working at all.

The system is very accessable to almost everyone when staffing is tight.