PM me. There's a lot to consider when it comes to flight ratings and careers.
Honestly if you want your commercial helicopter certificate, w/instrument ratings you should consider a stint in the Army or Coast Guard. Good, bad, or indifferent our Army/Coast Guard folks get the training for free (which can easily be transferred to commercial FAA ratings) and they build up hours quickly. Also remember as a novice commercial pilot, you're competing against all of the hours of an military pilot who are also competing for jobs in this economy; flight hours numbers that may go into the thousands.
A short while back, on fixed wing, it was stated that the trend reversed: there were more pilots who came through civilian channels than military. However, with the economy turning upside down aviation companies are taking hard hits.
Flying as a commercial pilot is rewarding (some though equate it to being a bus driver), yet like becoming a doctor is more of an apprenticeship. Once you get through the hoops, the pay is extremely low to begin with (tennis instructors make more) until you build up sufficient flight hours. Keep in mind that many in the military have a distinct advantage over someone 'paying their own way'. While as a novice commercial pilot you may have to instruct (read very low pay), do crop spraying, etc. to build up hours - our military folks receive a decent paycheck, with full benefits, and are building hours at the same time. Remember the regional airplane crash last year on the east coast with a seasoned rj pilot and a novice first officer? Her pay was less than $20 an hour - having been through $30,000+ in flight training.
The Coast Guard isn't frought with the same dangers as being in the Army and their mantra is to save lives.
When I retired from the Air Force, in 2005, I was aiming to fly commercially as a Bush or Regional pilot in Alaska. Of course I was also 39, married, and have children. Some of my friends who were with Frontier, PenAir, etc. were grooming me to get in. Unfortunately, the starting pay was one of two things, both becoming "sixes": $1,000 base, plus $10 a flight hour, or a flat $2,000. Needless to say, with a family, I had to give that dream up.
In hindsight if you want your flight ratings in fixed wing or rotary, I'd recommend anyone to go Coast Guard or Army, with the intent focus to get out at the end of your first commitment. If the Army isn't your thing, remember the Coast Guard gets the same pay & benefits (medical, dental, retirement), all bases are within the 50 states or territories (except one assignment in Japan and the other in the Netherlands), and they save lives.
If you're intent on going the civilian route and, initially, paying for all your training out of pocket I'd strongly recommend you go to a focused flight school, with a flow-thru program to an interview. Rarely, can they guarantee you a job, but they can ensure you get an interview and the training is concentrated into a short amount of time. More so than if you were to do it part-time.
I'm sure there's more opinions out there and I've missed things.