Hey everyone, I'm a little late in replying to the thread (lots of stress & studying), but I wanted to thank everyone for their two cents (which ended up being a couple of bucks).
Quick update: I finished the Commercial multi checkride and am currently at 212 hours total (120 multi). I'm starting CFI training in just a couple of days after a delay due to family issues I had to go home for. Some of the advice I've gotten from a lot of you has helped me to change my perspective. I really do think I'm going to enjoy instructing, and I'm looking forward to it. As one of you said, it's best to learn every rung of the ladder in detail, and that's what instructing is going to help reinforce.
In reply to "captain152", ATP has a fantastic training programme. The syllabus is set up to give you the most multi time and your ratings in the quickest amount of time, no B.S.. The only negative thing I can say about it is that it's a business BEFORE it's a flight school, though students are treated like military recruits rather than customers. That really upsets me, but aside from that it serves its purpose in getting a student through in 5-6 months for something that would typically take a few years.
As far as airline hiring goes, naturally I want to get in as quickly as possible - who doesn't? I'm not afraid to take on the work it will require to get there. There's something I've noticed something from my school's CFIs as a group: there are those who are obviously there simply to build time (it shows in their attitudes and laziness), and those who truly love instructing and put their all into teaching someone how to be the best pilot possible. I choose to be the latter. I'm just as eagerly ambitious as anybody (if not more) to want to get in the right seat of an RJ, but while I'm in the right seat of a SkyHawk or Seminole, I'm going to be the best flight instructor I know how to be.
Learning never stops.
Thanks again, everyone.