im needing a bit of advice.... ages ago i applied for steiner and after no reply i put it to the back of my mind and decided to go for mobile.
now ive started to get the ball rolling, i recieve a email saying ive got an interview with steiner (for nail enhancements, i had originally applied for massage also) and they want me to go on sunday!!!!!
i am truly chuffed to bits until i realise they want me to do a full set of nails in 1hour and 10 mins!!!!!
my timing is about 1hour 30... prep usually takes me at least 30mins.
also the interview is in newcastle so im having to go over the night before and they want me to take a model... there is no way one of my friends will come and miss a saturday night. lol.
i dont know what to do... i see this (if i get through as i know there will be hundreds there) as a once in a life time chance but i want to make sure i do the best nails i can.
IM SOOO CONFUSED!!!!!

I'm not quite sure why you see this as such a once in a lifetime opportunity. Steiners are always hiring and have a big turnover in staff. If you want it there can be plenty of other opportunities.

It may seem like an idyllic life on the ocean wave, but I know many many who have done it and although they had a good time for awhile, it is VERY long hours, very cramped quarters, far from ideal working conditions etc.

I would say if you are getting a business of your own started and you are ticking along nicely in the direction in which you want to go then keep at it.

i guess it was just the thought of travelling and doing something different.
can i ask.... is 1hour and half about right thought... i am right in thinking 1hour is quite quick

i too know a few girls who have worked on the ships and believe me it is very long hours for very little pay. My friend was booked back to back with massages and was truly too exhausted to enjoy any of the experience.
If you want to go to get loads of experience then id say go for it, but if you're expecting to see the sights and and enjoy the ocean life then id say book a ticket and go as a guest!
Im no nail expert by any stretch of the imagination but i would say an hour is very quick for doing a full set of enhancements (well for me it would be)...xXx

thank you... i think im gunna go to the presentation and have a listen in.... it might be interesting x

It ain't all a life of roses trust me and not at all as exciting as you think.

The INDUSTRY that you are a part of recognises 1.5 hours as the time for a full set which includes a client consultation and a polish. The fact that Steiners demand that you product a full set in 1.1 hours should tell you allot about the culture of the company .... it is all about money ---- little for you and under pressure and lots for them.

Do your own thing honey .. you'll make more money and be happier.

Excellent point

If you are really set on steiner, you can do the interview and trade test, then decide later if you want the job.

However, i also know people who have been on the ships and it wasn't what they thought it would be. Small cabin, long hours, targets that they found really difficult to reach and got their head bitten off when they didn't.

6 - 61/2 days per week so they didn't get to see as much as they thought they would and the products were absolute cr*p.

Don't let me put you off. I'm just telling you the cons because they will be giving you the pros, so you can make an informed decision.

Steiner is not all what it seems. Yes they expect you do do a full set in one hour ten minutes. You will be booked back to back and have targets that are unrealistic. All they want is money. You will get 1 and a half days off a week and be expected to work a 14 hour day.

They have a huge turnover in staff, so even if the time is not right for you now, there will always be other opportunities. If you have your own business and like Geeg says ticking along nicely I would stick with it.

Hi my neice is on a 5 star ship and she has had a bit of a nightmare. She got sick and was air lifted to a hospital in Greece, where no one spoke English and they packed her bags but left her phone and money on the ship and steiner didn't call for 2 days. She now has a frozen shoulder as they are working her so hard. She also has to pay $35 a night to live on the ship, so if it's quiet like it was 2 weeks ago she is having to pay out of her tips. I think as soon as her contract is over she will leave. I think the beauty industy is the hardest cos you don't get to leave the ship as much as you might think.
I have another friend who works in a shop and she gets off all the time as they can not sell stuff while they are docked. If you want to take this as a life experience then go for it but if you want to go to see the world I'd think again. They will work you to death but you might get great tips so if you want a year out then go for it but be ready to work HARD!

I agree with many of the ladies on here. I worked for Steiner for years and sadly they are all about money and not about quality, hence wanting you to do as many sets of nails as you can! I had enough in the end and left before they influenced me too much! It is great for travelling and you can make money on a busy ship but pleassseeeee always stick to your own standards as all they seem concerned about is whether you reach your target or not! Hope it helps x x

My daughter is at the Steiner academy right now...she is a massage therapist and her friend a nail technician has just got her placement on a ship.

She absolutely hates it...and to be honest she said it doesn't really matter how good you are at your job be it massage/beauty/nails...they are interested in one thing only...SELLING!!!!!! She knows more about Elemis products than it's possible to know!!!! plus her sales pitch has had me wanting to buy it over the phone
She has been told she has to sell a minimum of $6000 of Elemis products per week...

They don't make any bones at the academy...they treat you like cr@p and the YMCA at Watford ( where you stay ) is supposed to represent the living conditions of the ship....
I cried my eyes out at the state of her room...it took all my will to leave her there!!!

But...she is doing it for a couple of reasons....
yes she wants to see some of the world wherever that may be...
yes she wants to earn as much money as she possibly can...
but she also wants to put on her cv that she has trained with Steiner ( she says she has learnt more about massage in a couple of weeks than the whole of her ITEC course )....any future employer will know that she can work like a dog and sell ice to an eskimo!!!!

It's not all bad though....I know 3 people in the small town I live in who have worked for Steiner for 10 years, 12 years and 17 years respectively....and all have good things to say.
A good friend was a spa manager for 10 years and she has been round the world twice....to places she never knew existed...
she said Steiner are the worst company to work for ( politely put )...but she had great times even if it was hard work...

My daughter is going to do her 9 month placement ( she is waiting for her ship placement which should be any day now ) and is under no illusions...if you can get through the academy/YMCA experience you are part of the way there ( her words ) They do everything in their power to 'break you down' before they place you on a ship...she has seen so many leave since she has been there because they cannot hack the way they are treated...

Hopefully you can get a model...do your best and take it from there...
Don't be put off by what people say...everyone is different...just go into it with an open mind...
Best of luck xxxxx

I must admit, the Watford experience was not great but as soon as I was placed on a ship, it was more amazing than I was expecting. Time flies by so quick and your daughter will have lots of funny happy stories to tell you. I made friends that are still with me 10 years later. So although it's hard work, it is character building and she will have memories that will always make her smile