Complete tosh,
I got my job reading papers and chasing hosties round the FMS just by hanging round bars. Got talking to one old duffer and after a few beers invited me out to the airfield for a quick bash round in his 737, thought I did OK and asked me to come and work for him.
Licence shmisence! Nobody
really has a licence. It's just propaganda by the FTO's.
And yeah, loads of jobs if you know what pubs to hand round in, know what I mean.