Hi guys.....This is my first post....well rant if u like....Anyway I have just spent the last 2 years studying for my beauty therapy qualifications at my local college being one of (if not the only!) male student to do this. Having had to rise to all the challanges from eyelash perming to st tropez tanning to bikini line epilation I finally thought i had done it! something that not many males have done so i should be proud of that fact.
Now came that hard part....trying to find that all important job...having sent 100's of cvs and appllications around the local area.....nothing not even a interview...when i called that jobs advertised it was always that they had gone and then they were still being advertised up to a month later....... and i even attented a four hour interview at local hotel only to receive a two line letter rejection letter a month later stating 'I wasn't right for the position'...I even tried my local department store for a job on a counter selling make up but they said that they would only offer me a job part time as they did not think a man selling cosmetics would go down well with regular customers

So I am coming to conclusion that maybe the world isn't ready for male beauty therapists or am i just being paranoid....Tonyx

no, you are not paranoid, but its frustrating when you've worked so hard.employers are frightened to lose business by introducing a male, and many don't give the opportunity to see if it would work out.
There is a gradual rise in the male only salons, maybe this is a possible route for you to concentrate on.Otherwise, keep on trying, if you show potential there will be someone out there ready to take you on.Goodluck

Hi

See if Axiom has any ideas, he has a salon in Basingstoke

Deb379

I understand exactly how you feel, when I was looking for an apprenticeship in the motor trade no one wanted to know! I sent 2 letters to one place, one from 'Louise' and the other 'Louis' they sent an application to Louis and a rejection letter to Louise!

Its really silly that people can still think like this. If you were to sell me make up I would certainly listen as you would obviously have passion for what you wanted to do. For that company to give your sex as a reason for non employment is completely wrong.

x x

I am going on a waxing course and i laready have 2 men that want a back wax becasue theyare too embarrased to go to a salon, what does that tell you !!

Have you thought about contacting any barbers in your area ? also spas as they have quite a lot of male members so that could appeal to them, I have found some male clients in the past would prefer a male therapist.

Failing that then I would start looking further afield at male only salons, I have seen loads in London.

and your point about males selling cosmetics, in my local body shop there is a man serving and applying make up and there are always women in there.

Why not set up on your own love? I lived around the area you are from and was EXTREMELY busy as a mobile therapist. Moved now but there is a good market for it.

I am sure many women would want men doing their treatments. It's a nice change from ladies. Not that there is anything wrong with us. But there are male hairdressers so why not try
and be a mobile therapist or rent a room somewhere?

Male hairdressers are very creative in fact I will only go to a certain hairstylist as he does my hair right each time and I like him.

Good luck. Don't be downhearted. Contact Axiom he may be able to help!! xxx

personally i would think having a male beauty therapist would be less intimidating for some women....who wants a perfect looking, flawless woman telling us we have c**p skin...

I think those who have said you are not suitable are missing the boat big time....you have the talent...you have the training and education and deserve the same chances as anyone else.

Go it alone as a mobile therapist and don't forget to target those men who have waxing and stuff cos again there must be men who would feel more comfortable having a man perform these treatments.

don't be beaten hun !!

Please don't give up.

Whilst I can appreciate how difficult things can be seem at the moment look at the positives.

Being a male in a female dominated indusrty it is easier to stand out from the crowd - provided of course that you provide an excellent quality of service.

Look for the gap in the market - many men are thinking more about beauty services but would not dream of going into a women orrientated salon. As you expand your services you could look at services orrientated to men - for instance I was reading a recent article in the Beauty Guild about Turkish Wet shaving.

In addition I fail to understand the concerns of the department store and find this short - sighted and to some extent discriminatory. Some of the best make-up artists in the world are men. Admittedly if you wanted to specialise in this field it may involve additional training but this would apply to women and men alike.

Don't give up! Fight back and prove them all wrong.!

Good luck

Ruth

Hi Tony,

As a fellow fella in the industry I want to say this: DON'T GIVE UP!! This industry needs chaps like yourself!

I can empathise with your frustration as I had very similar experiences to you - heck, I couldn't even get a college to accept me as a male student at first, so you did better than me on that one to start with!!

Don't think of your gender as an obstacle, think of it as a unique selling point - there are many clients out there (both men and women) that actually prefer a male therapist, and although Hampshire may be a bit slow on the uptake, trust me when I say it can be done and you will make a go of it.

Incidentally, did you study at Bcot? If so, I think we may have spoken before on another site, but feel free to PM me if you'd like a chat or even if you fancy a day at the salon here in Basingstoke to get some experience - if nothing else, that should stand you in good stead when applying for other positions.

Andy

Keep trying as Andy says use your gender as a unique selling point it will all come together xxx

your just been paranoid hun or the future employers are,
if you lived close to me and i needed staff i wouldn't hesitate to employ a male member of staff,
someone out there will see sense and give you a chance hun and i bet you turn out to be really popular with the clients.

I had a thought last night (shock!) The only reason I finally managed to do get an apprenticeship was because I had done my work experience there so the company knew that I was quite good. Perhaps you could offer to complete a weeks trial or something, that way you get the chance to prove yourself x x