Just like everywhere else, timing is everything. A guy hired in Oct '98 was an FO for two years, and has been a captain for 10 years, except for one year as an FO during the bankruptcy. A guy hired in Dec '98 hasn't seen the left seat. And like everywhere, the 65 rule has brought things to a screeching halt.
The one rule that does hold true, get hired early in a hiring cycle. Oct '98 was the first hiring in a while and was a very heavy hiring cycle. Atlas had just bought 6 planes from Cargolux.