I never instructed. Went right into Aerial Mapping in a 172 after finishing my commercial. Got hired with 212 hours and did it for a year and a half until moving on to ExpressJet with 1100/100. Furloughed now, and wishing I had my CFI.

To the two previous posters... Historically in the last 2 years, hiring minimums have dropped way down.. The 10 years before that they were higher, and now they're raising back up. When my grandfather went to the airlines he had no experience at all. He was finishing up his military term and was approached by TWA.. they paid for all his ratings and gave him a job.

Times change, and we change with them.