mme_antoinette
New Member
Hello,
I was on these forums last year, with a different username - I just wanted to re-introduce myself first off: I'm Sam, 25 years old. I'm originally from Manchester UK, but living in Warwickshire currently.
And now for the career dilemmas...
I've worked in admin, in varying roles such as secretary and PA, for six years. Last year, while unemployed, I decided to take a short course for Beauty Therapy NVQ2 in London. There were five modules set over separate two-day intervals, and home revision/case studies. I was really excited and motivated about it at first.
I enjoyed the course, but I found the case studies very difficult as the number of examples I had to do and photograph were very demanding. I enlisted friends to help me, but they weren't very reliable and I was not getting enough practice at home, though I was doing well on my revision.
At the time I was also applying for admin jobs to make ends meet. I finally got a job in January last year, on a maternity contract. I planned to just use annual leave to go to London and finish my course/do exams, but my new job made things hard - I was too busy to revise and I became much less confident about my abilities as a beauty therapist because I had no chance to practice my skills. I didn't attend the last module of my course (I called to cancel) and chose not to go through to the exam stage.
Now my maternity contract is over, I'm looking for another admin job, but I'm also wishing I had tried harder to make things work with the beauty therapy. The thing is, the short course was NOT good for me at all - I need education to be more structured, and I am not motivated enough to discipline myself at home, particularly if I have a full-time job.
I was in my local beauty salon the other day getting my brows done, and I suddenly missed doing beauty therapy. The only way I could go back to it, is to go to college for a year. The problem is that my husband can support us, but only just, and I wouldn't want to burden him with all our expenses for a year. I thought of compromising, and trying hairdressing instead, so I could get an apprenticeship. But I tried last year, and because of my age, no hairdressing salon would take me on.
So I'm not quite sure what to do.
1. Go to college this September and be without income for a year, making my husband miserable!
2. Try and get a hairdressing apprenticeship?
3. Forget either and just get another admin position?
There aren't any evening or weekend courses in our neck of the woods unfortunately, that was the other thing I would have considered. I also can't take the London course again as it was expensive, plus I would need places to stay and travel money as well.
I think I just need some encouragement or advice. I'm also worried that I don't have what it takes to do beauty therapy. I wasn't very good in the practical sessions (we had two days for practicals for each module) and didn't seem to have a natural knack for it, so maybe I'm just kidding myself?
Sorry this is so long and disjointed... I just needed to vent where people might understand!
xx
I was on these forums last year, with a different username - I just wanted to re-introduce myself first off: I'm Sam, 25 years old. I'm originally from Manchester UK, but living in Warwickshire currently.
And now for the career dilemmas...
I've worked in admin, in varying roles such as secretary and PA, for six years. Last year, while unemployed, I decided to take a short course for Beauty Therapy NVQ2 in London. There were five modules set over separate two-day intervals, and home revision/case studies. I was really excited and motivated about it at first.
I enjoyed the course, but I found the case studies very difficult as the number of examples I had to do and photograph were very demanding. I enlisted friends to help me, but they weren't very reliable and I was not getting enough practice at home, though I was doing well on my revision.
At the time I was also applying for admin jobs to make ends meet. I finally got a job in January last year, on a maternity contract. I planned to just use annual leave to go to London and finish my course/do exams, but my new job made things hard - I was too busy to revise and I became much less confident about my abilities as a beauty therapist because I had no chance to practice my skills. I didn't attend the last module of my course (I called to cancel) and chose not to go through to the exam stage.
Now my maternity contract is over, I'm looking for another admin job, but I'm also wishing I had tried harder to make things work with the beauty therapy. The thing is, the short course was NOT good for me at all - I need education to be more structured, and I am not motivated enough to discipline myself at home, particularly if I have a full-time job.
I was in my local beauty salon the other day getting my brows done, and I suddenly missed doing beauty therapy. The only way I could go back to it, is to go to college for a year. The problem is that my husband can support us, but only just, and I wouldn't want to burden him with all our expenses for a year. I thought of compromising, and trying hairdressing instead, so I could get an apprenticeship. But I tried last year, and because of my age, no hairdressing salon would take me on.
So I'm not quite sure what to do.
1. Go to college this September and be without income for a year, making my husband miserable!
2. Try and get a hairdressing apprenticeship?
3. Forget either and just get another admin position?
There aren't any evening or weekend courses in our neck of the woods unfortunately, that was the other thing I would have considered. I also can't take the London course again as it was expensive, plus I would need places to stay and travel money as well.
I think I just need some encouragement or advice. I'm also worried that I don't have what it takes to do beauty therapy. I wasn't very good in the practical sessions (we had two days for practicals for each module) and didn't seem to have a natural knack for it, so maybe I'm just kidding myself?
Sorry this is so long and disjointed... I just needed to vent where people might understand!
xx
- however I would recommend looking for a college which is full time because it gives you a chance to really get involved. A lot of colleges now are full time but actually you attend three times a week...Which could allow you to continue working it would just mean finding something to fit around your days (perhaps even at your current job) I wish when I was at college I spent a few days in a salon because now its very hard to get a position without experience (then of course you can't get any without work, bit of a tiresome circle)
