This is the other half of the story that (as of yet) the media has yet to report. There are plenty of of very experienced pilots out there right now (U.S. Citizens that is) - but many have gone overseas to work. Why? Because the pay and conditions are so abysmally bad at many carriers here! Without even trying I can think of at least 20 people I know who've gone to overseas carriers - and I'm not talking inexperienced people. I'm talking about guys with 10,000+ hours, years of 121 PIC, heavy jet experience, ect. Hwy are they going to places like China, India, and Nigeria? Because it's not worth working at the regionals. I can think of a whole other bunch who are collecting unemployment right now (just like HalinTexas) rather than work for a regional. The media needs to get their teeth into the other side of this story and bring it to light.

Back to more on topic - I agree with a minimum of an ATP to be a crewmember on a 121 carrier. I'd add to that a minimum of two years 121 experience before being able to upgrade to Captain (not necessarily at that carrier). I certainly wouldn't fix everything, but it would force people to have more "real" experience before being either PIC or SIC of an airliner.

And to the original question - Do whatever it takes. Looking back and myself and friends, we busted our butts to fly anything and everything we could in college - be it CFI'ing, delivering aircraft, making connections and flying right seat in a corporate turboprop, whatever. It took me 10 years to go from first flight to right seat of a Part 135 jet (with my ATP at that point). Along the way I made a lot of decisions and gained a lot of experience. I simply don't believe that happens when you are rushed through training, into the right seat of a 121, and then a quick upgrade. Does that need to take 10 years? Certainly not, but I believe a five year path to the right seat would produce a pilot who is more well rounded (note - I'm referring to a all civilian path here. The military and their training represent an entirely different paradigm, but that is an entirely different discussion).

There is a push for more experience from new pilots but no way to build experience. The path from doing civilian training to atp mins doesn't exist in this stagnant industry, in time things will probably begin to balance out, but you are still going to have a group of pilots that the airlines are going to eventually need that aren't experienced enough for the job.

Experienced pilots
 

Well from my calculations there are around 150,000 commercial pilots who are of working age and have let their medicals go. If wages were increased and working conditions relaxed experienced pilots by the thousands would materialize out of the wood work.

Skyhigh