Originally Posted by
dn_wisconsin
Not even sure if the FAR's allow you to do that, but good luck logging dual given on a VFR day. I suppose you could but you'd be the same as a safety pilot. Anytime the student didn't have the hood on you couldn't log it, so I'd get the CFI first. If this helps FAR 61.183 is eligibility requirements.
The above is not correct...
The FAR's do allow it. Your initial CFI rating can be any CFI rating...CFII, MEI, etc. You do not have to do the CFI-ASEL as your initial.
I have trained instructors who did the CFII only...they usually did mostly sim/flight trainer work.
There is no reason that a CFII cannot teach instruments in an airplane...and it is ALL loggable as PIC, whether VFR or IFR. Presumably the student would be under the hood in VMC of course, but that is not a requirement for the CFII to log it...instrument instruction includes taxi, takeoff, and landing too. You can log it all.
Some schools will actually encourage new instructors to get the CFII as their initial, because it is an easier checkride.
With that said, I would plan on getting the CFI-A and MEI too. If you can only afford one rating, get the CFI-A first unless you have a guaranteed CFII job.