Hey guys and gals

Just a little bit of background info on me as I am in desperate need of some advice! Sorry if this ends up long winded.

I recently completed my NVQ Level 2 Hairdressing (first year I did it full time and the second year one evening a week as I have a young family and was finding it hard committing all those hours). When I started the course two years ago I immediately took a Saturday job at a local Salon. The people there are great and my boss was lovely (infact he is an old family friend) but For over a year all I was allowed to to was wash hair, make tea and sweep floors. I know this is standard junior tasks but I'm 32 years of age and I have a great desire to get out there. I left that job and took a job in the city where I got on well. They let me colour, blow dry etc but they were very overstaffed which meant we were all fighting for the work.

I got a phonecall from my old boss to say that one of the girls had left and asked if I would go back. Now I feel I need to mention that this guy has worked hard for his own salon and is immensely proud of it. The problem with that is he is the only one who is allowed to cut hair. There are two other members of staff there who have been there for around 5 years. The first girl blow dries and foils and the other guy is allowed to do basic gents cuts and all over colours. I now blow dry and apply all over colours but he seems reluctant to let me even foil. I approached him a while back and asked if we could start a training night/day to which he agreed that it would start in March, nothing has happened. He is reluctant to start it because he would have to offer cut price services and feels that this is the wrong financial time to do this.

In the meantime I have completed my first year of Level 2 Beauty therapy, went on a hair up course, Im about to start my acrylic nails course with Entity and go on a spray tanning course. All of which I have funded myself as I think my best option is going mobile offering hair and beauty. I have a large family circle and I do all of their cutting and colouring and have obtained a few mobile clients of my own.

My dilemma is this. Should I stick at the salon work and hope that I gain more experience or should I go on a colour correction course and an advanced cutting course and try and go mobile? If the mobile option should I offer training prices to begin with?

I feel so disappointed as I've put my heart and soul into this and feel like chucking it.

Sorry for the long winded post

Hi, would you consider working part time for your family friend
and still do your advanced colour and cutting courses so that you can charge full price and build up your mobile business as well ?

it would be a shame to chuck it now, as you have worked so very hard too,
also would you consider looking for employment in other salons that you fancy ? as they may be needing a stylist just like yourself

I think there are a few similar threads going like this one at the moment maybe you could have a peek at those ones too

can't think of anything else at the moment , but some other geeks might be able to think of some more ideas ?

x minky

Hi Minky,

I had thought of going part time but I feel like Im just wasting my time there and Im so frustrated. Getting other jobs at the minute wouldnt be easy and trying to dictate which days I can and cant work might be a nightmare. I just feel so disillusioned.

Im away to look at the other threads now.

Thanks for taking the time to respond. I think I'm gonna go through the phone book and call round a few places on Monday to see whats happening out there.

Thanks x

There are jobs out there, I am looking for a full time stylist in one of my salons and am finding the vacancy hard to fill.
There are lots of salons out there and you only have experience of 2!
You are newly qualified and maybe being a bit unrealistic about what a salon will do for you. Moaning about chucking it all in is not going to inspire a salon owner with the confidence to spend time and money providing you with extra training when you are meant to be a fully qualified hairdresser.
Write a great CV, get glammed up and pop in to every salon to give the owner your details.

I see where you are coming from although I haven't once moaned to my employer about chucking it, I have mentioned it on this forum only. I have been enthusiastic in all aspects of my work and have asked about inhouse training as mentioned above but it inconveniences him as it requires him to carry it out on his day off which I fully understand. I have paid for all of my own training and courses so far to date which has cost me a fortune and hasn't cost him a penny.

I intend to go round some salons this week but as I live in the countryside they are few and far between and don't look favourably on poaching staff from nearby salons.

If you approach them, then its not poaching.
To be honest, I cant see the point of your boss employing qualified hairdressers and banning them from cutting! All seems pretty odd to me.
Extra courses don't really benefit unless you have the clients to put what you learn into practise.
It sounds like you need to be in a different salon where you can practise your trade as normal hairdressers do! not spending your life doing blow dries for someone else, which is why your confidence as a stylist isn't building as it should.

By any chance do you work for someone called Peter? I know this one hairdresser where he never lets anyone else cut, it seems so stupid like xx
you need to get out of ther! x