my late dear dad was an "old school" bartender (back when you HAD to belong to the bartender's union to work in a real bar). i am a former event planner who had to deal with "new school" bartenders.
from my perspective it depends on the type of venue you plan on working in. some bars are strictly "flash" and if you are able to toss bottles and entertain the patrons it does'nt matter how good your skills are. for events (weddings, banquets and the like) we sought bartenders who knew the standard drinks (we did'nt care if they could toss a bottle, we wanted them to provide the drinks requested and keep up with demand), knew how to pour appropriate amounts, and kept the bar up and ready (moved the dirty glasses to be washed, replenished the ice and relishes, pulled the back up bottles for quick access).
a good bartender can make good wages (10 years ago we charged $50 an hour for a hosted bar just for the bartender not the drinks consumed-and the bartender took the bulk of it plus tips). but a good bartender had to have excellent bartending and organizational skills (you don't serve drinks if all of the glasses are in the sanitizer or if all of your cocktail waitresses are on break at the same time).
i think if someone is interested in pursueing this line of work they would do well to talk to bartenders in the type of establishments they desire to work in and learn what the key skill necessary to succeed in the job are. some of the best bartenders i worked with "aprenticed" under seasoned bartenders, watching and observing-getting the opportunity to initialy work slower hours, building up to high peak/heavy demand periods.
It was a waste of money. I got some certifications that meant nothing when I went to get a job. Once I got a job I learned that even in country clubs, 90% of the people still order bottled beer or a shot and pop type drinks. I would advise you to find a job working somewhere small, get practice and work your way up to the type of establishment you'd like to be in.
