Hey Boeing 747.
It's a good time for the helo industry. The Vietnam era sticks are retiring, and they are continuing to lower the mins for jobs. Helo drivers are harder to find, but the applications are becoming more widespread. So they can't find enough pilots from what I've been hearing, but like the fixed wings it's all cyclical.
The downside is that it's more expensive to get trained. Once you do, you have to find the job that will build your time so you can move on to the turbine ships. The most effective way that I know is doing the CFI thing in the light pistons -namely the R22s and the Schweizers. I would try to avoid this however, because you are putting yourself at risk for an incident if not worse. Practicing an engine failiure with a student in a light piston helo is a lot different then in a Cessna. Things happen in a hurry, slight inputs and a milisecond late can result in a blemish on your record if not worse. This is what I was told by a helo instructor who incidently cracked one into the pavement and did about 70k worth of damage. He's the second CFI with a mishap that I have met. If you can avoid the cfi thing and do traffic watch, pipeline patrol or whatever - take it! However the CFI is pretty much the quickest way up.
After that a lot of people fly the oil platforms in the gulf of mex. It's boring but it builds the time. After that you've done that for a while, you can try air amulance, news/media etc. you name it.
I'm no expert but this is what I've heard in the relativiely short amount of time I've been in them which is only about a year and a half.
hope it helps