The type rating does help if its in the right aircraft. I was just hired by Pinnacle Airlines because of my CRJ type rating. I have less than five hundred hours. Eleven others in my class were also hired. Most had less than five hundred hours. It's expensive, but if willing to sacrifice a few years of loan payments, it's worth it. It trully prepares you for an airline. I'm proof of that. Hopefully this will silence some of the RAA bashers. The training is good. I know some people have had bad experiences there, but for me it worked. It just took a little effort. I was there a year and three months and now I have a job.