All of the airline job opportunities for low-time pilots that I know of require you to attend an expensive program affiliated with the airline. Most of these are ab initio, but mesa's PACE program takes folks with a few hundred hours and a COMM/ME. However it will cost you around $15,000 I believe.

You might be able to find a job as a pipeline patrol or traffic watch pilot. Many of the Alaska opportunites require somewhat higher time, but I'm sure you could find something up there.

I think getting your CFI would be the most cost effective route and most beneficial to you in the long run. Airline interviews and ground schools are geared more to the CFI level; commercial pilots whose checkride knowledge and IFR skills are a distant memory usually fail out.