Advice on going self employed

[Vikeeex]

Hey all

I have recently been qualified in NVQ Level 3 Beauty Therapy (july 2011) and have since been trying VERY hard trying to get a salon job, unfortuantly had no luck as they all say the same thing to me, i haven't got any experience (although i have worked in a salon for 5 weeks and have done 3 months of volunteer/work experience in a beauty salon), but how am i supposed to get anywhere in life if no one is going to give me a chance! anyways, i've been thinking that ive spent 3 years studying beauty therapy at college & dont want that to go to waste as i really want to do beauty and decided to kit out a spare room i have and use it as a home salon and go self employed in the new year!

does anyone have any advice for me?
as i have tried everything to try get a job (no luck!), have very little experience (except from my volunteer work and what college have taught me), and im 19 years old (just to let you know!), also i do drive and have a car so i am able to go to clients home if they cant get to my home.

thanks for helping
<3

 

[GIGGLER]

Hmmmm.. To be honest I wouldnt advise someone fresh outta college to go self employed.. 3 weeks/months salon work isn't a lot of exp at all.. Especially in training. have u not tried applying for 'junior inprover' positions? That's what I did.. It really bridged the gap between trainee to qualified. U will take a little less money but in-salon experience is so valuable! If u really must be self employed then just try it, uve obviously sorted ur work space.. Just remember to get public liability insurance. Good luck with ur new venture! X

 

[Vikeeex]

Hmmmm.. To be honest I wouldnt advise someone fresh outta college to go self employed.. 3 weeks/months salon work isn't a lot of exp at all.. Especially in training. have u not tried applying for 'junior inprover' positions? That's what I did.. It really bridged the gap between trainee to qualified. U will take a little less money but in-salon experience is so valuable! If u really must be self employed then just try it, uve obviously sorted ur work space.. Just remember to get public liability insurance. Good luck with ur new venture! X

Thanks for the advice!
ive tried everything, well what feels like everything.
Ive applied for every beauty position in my area (30 mile radius) and nothing! always came second best, ive even sent out my cv's to salons just in case they have a position and to keep my details on file. its like everyone is looking for experience but no one will give me experience! I just dont know what else to do other than become self employed. i just dont want my skills to go to waste and all the time ive spent studying. Dont want to give up if you know what i mean lol. <3

 

[Bellini]

Hi

I'm in the same boat, I left college in June and had my baby in the August, since looking for therapy work over the last few weeks I'm having no luck. I always wanted to be self employed anyhow so the lack of jobs only makes me more determined to succeed on my own. I would say if you know what's involved in becoming self employed then go for it...Why would you have gone to college in the first place if it wasn't to use the qualifications. Maybe working in the initial stages would be nice but if the opportunities aren't there then try and make them for yourself

xx

 

[Enchanting Beauty]

i started out as self-employed when i finished training, and if you are determined, willing to work very hard and are confident in the treatments you carry out then go for it. My training took place in a training centre within a working salon and managed to get work experience there too, but basically got cracking on being self-employed as soon as I'd qualified.
I would recommend practising as much as you can on family and friends so you feel confident enough to working on paying clients.
it's not easy sometimes but if you're in the right mindset it can work.
hope that's helped
good luck xx

 

[Vikeeex]

Hi

I'm in the same boat, I left college in June and had my baby in the August, since looking for therapy work over the last few weeks I'm having no luck. I always wanted to be self employed anyhow so the lack of jobs only makes me more determined to succeed on my own. I would say if you know what's involved in becoming self employed then go for it...Why would you have gone to college in the first place if it wasn't to use the qualifications. Maybe working in the initial stages would be nice but if the opportunities aren't there then try and make them for yourself

xx

oh right yeah we are in the same boat then! ive had 4 months of trying very hard to get a salon job (no luck! cant even get a job in the supermarket for the time being!), its just frustrating that employers dont give us "newbie's" a chance! and yeah exactly! 3 years is a long time to study and especialy for somthing you love! i mean if i didnt do beauty i really dont know what else i would do with my life! my dad is self employed so he was going to help me etc. i did use 'Eve Taylor' products on my 3rd year of college but i havent got a clue if im aloud to use the products in my own business. do you know? <3

 

[Vikeeex]

i started out as self-employed when i finished training, and if you are determined, willing to work very hard and are confident in the treatments you carry out then go for it. My training took place in a training centre within a working salon and managed to get work experience there too, but basically got cracking on being self-employed as soon as I'd qualified.
I would recommend practising as much as you can on family and friends so you feel confident enough to working on paying clients.
it's not easy sometimes but if you're in the right mindset it can work.
hope that's helped
good luck xx

Thanks for the advice! yeah i wish i got cracking on it soon as i left college but when i left i DID have a job in a local salon but for 5 weeks they treated me like crap, and made me clean didnt let me do anything else even answer the phone they wouldnt let me and eventually had the cheek to tell me that i had no gumtion and wasnt willing to work etc. even though EVERYDAY i was there (1 and a half days a week) i asked when can i do clients, when can i get my uniform etc. and then got rid of me! they even had ago at me for going to a funeral! but after that and ever since i have been trying to get a job in a salon, so im going to work very hard in becoming self employed! <3

 

[sophiegees]

Go for it, do lot of practicing so you are confident and then start. With hard work and motivation you could end up with a successful business. Good luck

xx

 

[GIGGLER]

Yikes! So u only did 5/6 days in total in salon and u got upset coz u cudnt b let loose on clients?? :-| u have to appreciate that a bad reputation spreads a lot faster than a good one.. So if u mess up even once, it can be really damaging. So im not suprised that they held back. And u seem angry at employers for not giving u a chance.. Maybe ask them for some constructive critisism instead and use that in at ur next interview. Its amazing what u can pick up on when interviewing someone, if ur getting frustrated maybe that's come across in ur interviews?

 

[Vikeeex]

Yikes! So u only did 5/6 days in total in salon and u got upset coz u cudnt b let loose on clients?? :-| u have to appreciate that a bad reputation spreads a lot faster than a good one.. So if u mess up even once, it can be really damaging. So im not suprised that they held back. And u seem angry at employers for not giving u a chance.. Maybe ask them for some constructive critisism instead and use that in at ur next interview. Its amazing what u can pick up on when interviewing someone, if ur getting frustrated maybe that's come across in ur interviews?

thanks for the advice 'sophiegees' , and yeah i did get upset because i tried VERY hard to make a great impression and worked hard, always asked what needs to be done and made sure the rooms where set up for the other therapists. Im not so much 'angry' because i can understand why a salon would want experienced therapists, its just the fact that a few salons have said they will get back to me and that they want to give me a chance etc. and they end up either not getting back to me, or going back on what they have been saying for instance this one salon said that they wernt looking for someone with experience but when i got a phone call up to let me know if i got the job or not they end up saying that they want someone experienced. its just a little frustrating. also the fact that ive worked exteremly hard to get where i am yet seems to be like everyone i went to college with has now got a job in a salon. im constantly sending CV's out etc. and it gets me no where.
i always ask for feedback from interviews and they say they will let me know what i went wrong on but then they dont tell me and if they do its because i have little experience.

EDIT: also what do you mean about a bad rep? that job was my first job so i didnt have a rep. i know a few people who have worked in that salon since and have left because the owners treat you like crap. this particular salon has a reputation of being snobish too in our town.

 

[GIGGLER]

I actually meant the salons reputation.. Regardless of ur previous work place bein Snobbish.. Or a High turn over of staff.. It doesn't matter. They must b a reputable salon to make it thru the recession. Wen u get ur own business goin u will understand. Our industry is tough and u defo need thick skin! Good luck with ur new venture.

 

[muddi]

I can't understand why they would not even let you answer the phone and start talking to clients? They could of let you do maybe level 2 treatments for a cut price to clients.

Did they do any type of trade tests with you to see what sort of standard you were at with your treatments? Normally a salon will do this so they know 'what they are working with', they know which areas you need extra training in to bring you up to salon standard. Salon standard is a lot higher than college standard.

If you cannot find somewhere to take you on and you want to go the self employed route, look up your local business support centre, they will be able to give you FREE advice and they are a really big help. They usually have contacts with printers and designers etc that will give you a % off..

meanwhile practice as much as you can on family on friends to keep up your skills and try and improve your skills, techniques and timings each time. Try and self critique your work and see where you can improve etc.

Good luck with it...

 

[Vikeeex]

I can't understand why they would not even let you answer the phone and start talking to clients? They could of let you do maybe level 2 treatments for a cut price to clients.

Did they do any type of trade tests with you to see what sort of standard you were at with your treatments? Normally a salon will do this so they know 'what they are working with', they know which areas you need extra training in to bring you up to salon standard. Salon standard is a lot higher than college standard.

If you cannot find somewhere to take you on and you want to go the self employed route, look up your local business support centre, they will be able to give you FREE advice and they are a really big help. They usually have contacts with printers and designers etc that will give you a % off..

meanwhile practice as much as you can on family on friends to keep up your skills and try and improve your skills, techniques and timings each time. Try and self critique your work and see where you can improve etc.

Good luck with it...

No i couldnt understand nor could my family or my other halfs family :-S bit odd! because they other girl they took on at the same time with me (funny enough we finished college at the same time and went to college together), they let her do treatments and actually do the work! Yeah they did a trade test on me and rang me up the day after saying they would really like me to work with them and telling me how great i was (the best they had interviewed) and that they where going to send me on elemis and jessica training. yet they ended up doing that to me & it really knocked my confidence to be honest. but yeah i would really actually like to go self employed i think im better working on my own, my dads self employed and has been for like 30 years so he was going to help me.

& thanks yeah i really need to get my mum to help me practice treatments because shes the only one i could really practice everything on IE- leg wax etc. <3