Probably a bit late, but I'll bite since I am a certified sommelier. No I don't know everything (nor do I pretend to do know it all) and I don't work in the industry. It's a hobby of mine.

Anyways, like others have said, I would suggest taking a course.Perhaps at a local college or university to learn the basics or maybe there's a restaurant that offers 4-6 week crash courses as an intro to wine. While you likely won't be able to tell the difference between say Rutherford or Coombsville Cabs, you'll at the very least know that Pinot Noir's ancestral home is from France (Burgundy) and that good new world examples are also grown in New Zealand and Oregon.

After that, if your friend is serious, I'd suggest looking into WSET unless if you want to work in the trade/restaurant in which case Court of Master Sommeliers is a bit more practical. IMO, WSET is more geared towards sales, marketing, etc. but that's not to say that one is necessarily better than another (although some people will swear by one or the other exclusively)

Feel free to shoot any questions over. I've done both WSET and CMS.