I haven't been working in the industry that long, but here's what I've seen so
far.
First off, it's not exactly easy on your body. I don't care what anybody says
- bartending is a physically demanding job. Some moreso than others, but it
requires more than simply sitting at a PC all day punching code.
Second, it has some financial problems. Not in the sense of actual income -
depending on where you work, it can be fairly lucrative. The problem is that,
unlike more traditional jobs, it requires more financial planning on your
part. A bar won't set up your 401k for you, it generally doesn't have health
and dental coverage, etc. So, you have to plan all that on your own - it
takes some initiative, and it also takes away from your spendable income. You
also have to plan on paying more in taxes every year due to the nature of your
income (assuming you're tending in the US where tips make up the majority of
your income).
Third, and I'll probably hear some disagreement on this one, but there's a bit
of a social stigma when it comes to career bartending. When you're 45 and
someone asks you what you do for a living, "engineer" and "software
technician" are expected answers - "bartender" or really anything in the
service industry other than management is not expected, with the possible
exception of sommelier. Minor, but still, it's to be considered.
Fourth, there's not a whole lot of room for upward mobility in the bar
business, unless you work corporate. You can become head bartender or bar
manager, but from there you generally will move to GM, and no longer serving
very much. The other option is to open your own place, but that's a whole
different discussion.
Career tending, like any profession, has its rewards and its drawbacks. I'm
sure I missed a few here, but at the end of the day, you need to decide for
yourself if bartending is something you love to do. If so, then you can work
the rest of it out later. In the meantime, just have fun and see where it
takes you.