Age descrimination?

[Lily]

Hiya,

I dont think it matters what age you are!!! as long as you do it properly, but soemtimes young 16-20 yr olds get discriminated against, its as if they are not mature or experienced in life enough!!! It wouldnt matter to me wether a 16 or 90 yr old person did my nails as long as they were good!!!

Amanda

 

[Urban Geek]

YOU KNOW YOU'RE GETTING OLD WHEN 40 SEEMS YOUNG! - HELP!!!!!

I am one of those bright young things and 21++ again. I have been in the industry for almost a year now and did expect some discrimination but, thankfully, I haven't experienced any at all with regard my age. Allthough I think I would have picked techniques up quicker in my 20's and struggled less with the learning (I find I have to read things about 3 times to fully digest info), I feel that I have a maturity which clients like and I can chat to them about anything and everything more so than I think I would have done at an earlier age. I also think at an earliler age I might not have had the perseverance needed to succeed.

What a buzz it is to improve someone's appearance and make them feel better about themselves. Certainly more job satisfaction doing nails than secretarial work!

 

[mum]

Mature at 40!!!!! Steady on Geeg :smack:

I am delighted that "over 40" ooh, Marian Newman springs to mind :smack: and again :smack:

So from one old crock to another................well, actually who's called herself 'mum' on here because so many others do!!!

You are right, experience counts for so much, and not just in nails :wink2: I started the whole nail 'thing' when I was early 30's (not being coy, just can't remember, but that's age too) but don't feel I really got it together until well over 40.

I don't think I have ever been discriminated against because of age. What I do now I am surrounded by real, genuine babes and although, sometimes I feel like their great grandma, that is an attitude of mine, not their's!

I love being the age I am with the experience I have. I can get away with murder and say stuff to some very 'special', famous, rich (whatever!) people that I could never have said when I was younger. By 'stuff' I mean nail related!

Right now I work in the true 'image' industry and I am very aware that people that matter are not going to trust my opinions on 'todays style' for very much longer. However, no one can take away experience and I hope younger people appreciate and 'use' the experience of us 'crocks' (OK I'll speak for myself ) for what it is; not being a 'know it all' but just willing to share and pass on to future generations.

Fiona
I love your reference to the youngsters and their 'wild nights' and 'hangovers'! How do you shut them up??? Me? I just suffer in silence and smile to myself

Marian

 

[Lily]

Hiya,

I am nearly getting "over the Hill" NOT i hope, i am 30 this year and i dont wnat to be, i want to be 21 again and not have a hangover that lasts two days and no cellulite and jelly belly after having kids!!!

Does this mean i will be in the "mature" catagory:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

Amanda

 

[scattyfox]

I was really surprised when reading the answers to this thread i really thought the majority of you were young technicians, just goes to show how mature the young ones are and immature (like myself) the older ones are.
To be serious though i started doing nails when i was 37 and have found that age has given me more patience as well as determination to know what i want and to go out there and get it. I have to try harder as the information doesnt go in so easily as it did when i was younger but find reading through and writing lots of notes helps me retain the knowledge i need. My clients are all ages although the majority come into the mature bracket aand i find if anything they like a chat more than the younger clients do. its nice to know though that some of the big names in nails achieved what they have over 40, so watch out 40 her i come.

 

[Bryony]

Age is absolutely, definately NOT an issue. Someone being well trained & competant at their job IS.

I started doing nails last year, aged 29, so no spring chicken but not quite in the 'mature' category! I want to be a superb nail technician, and have never considered that not having started earlier in life will stop that. It's encouraging all the same to hear Marian & Gigi admit they feel they have achieved more since turning 40.

Who was it said "With age comes wisdom"? Although you can have good and bad experiences of life at any age (miss married at 19, divorced at 26!), I think it's only with age that you are able to reflect on these experiences and use them as a way to better interact with others.

I think it's admirable to have the passion, spirit, desire, determination etc. to learn a new skill - more so as one gets older.

Sassy hassy, had never read your profile, so didn't realise you were 41, have read a lot your posts and I had you down as being about 25!!!

As for the weight issue, I'm one of those tall, thin biatches with legs up to my armpits, however, this (sadly) doesn't automatically make me a good nail technician, far from it. We thinnies still struggle to get product on less than 1" thick, make it smooth, have decent smile lines......:lol:

 

[sequinto]

This makes interesting reading I myself did the foundation course when i was 46 now im nearly 48 and still learning loads, not just about nails but everything. At school i learnt nothin, all my qulifications that i have now are due to adult education which i started doing when i was 40. I can honestly say that i love adult education, the more i learn the more i want to learn, my tutor at college now tells me i am a very enthusastic learner, which i have to agree i am, i now love learning.

 

[Cathie!]

I started my life in the nail industry 2 and a bit years ago when I was 33 and I have to admit that I was worried about being a bit older as a newbie tech, but like everyone else has already said, it didn't matter and in many cases my age was to my advantage.

In fact, I'm looking forward to being 40 (metaphorically speaking) as my youngest will be 7 then and hopefully my nail career will be flying as I will have had a lot more time to invest in my business than I have at the moment.

Age doesn't matter, it's attitude, dedication, guts, determination and care that matter.

 

[geeg]

Off topic, but just had a chuckle to myself thinking,

If I had asked everyone to tell their ages you would have all said, "wouldn't you like to know"????

But just look what we all know about each other now?? VERY revealing!

I too thought that many were much younger .... everyone is younger than I am!!!!

But I'm young at heart and in my head only 18 or so.!!

 

[Jaydee]

Hi Geeg, I dont think age is an issue at all. When we look at society today the average person is living a longer age than they did to say 20-30 years ago. People are also working well after the retirement age. If you are well presented, work safely and tidy and give your clients the best service and nailcare advice and continue with your education then I think you are on the road to a great career in what is now one of the fastest growning industrys in the beauty sector.

David

 

[geeg]

Maybe 'doing nails' actually KEEPS us young!! at heart anyway.

 

[Jaydee]

The only discrimination I ever got was when I was on my way to a client and I had my kit with me in my little black bag and some kids called me Roy Cropper. Lol.

David

 

[Sassy Hassy]

"Sassy hassy, had never read your profile, so didn't realise ou were 41, have read a lot your posts and I had you down as being about 25!!!" Bryony PMSL!!!! In my head I am actually still 21, it's only when I look in the mirror and see this 41 year old battleaxe staring back that I feel 121!!!

Maybe 'doing nails' actually KEEPS us young!! at heart anyway - Gigi I think you are right, I got inot nailing to get out of the rat race. I love my job, I love going to work and I never feel stressed -except when clients don't show - and that must be good for you.

 

[thenaillounge]

Hi guys

I am still a baby 26. Due to the expense of setting up a business in Jersey, many people enter my salon with the belief that I am an employee. My mum is my receptionist and people presume she owns the company.

Quite funny recently as I was advertising a job vacancy. Anyway I had ten minutes and was chilling out on my sofa in the Nail Lounge and one of the applicants came in to request further information. It was so funny as she waltzed in, thinking she had caught me on the skive, asking where my boss was. She was in her late 40's and very posh. When I turned around and said that I was the person she required she was nearly sick!

She took the details and I arranged an interview for her on the Friday at 6pm, I agreed to stay late especially for her as no other time was conveinient. She was so POSH, she didn't turn up for her interview and never even contacted me to apologise or re-schedule. I am of the belief that she couldn't work for an employer who was younger than her.

So the answer to that one is yes, I have experienced people who have judged me for my age.

I love being in my 20's but cant wait till I hit 30 in a way as everything tends to fall into place with regards to your confidence, and the experience that you have is imense.

Embrace your age and live life is what I say!

 

[Sara Satchell]

I REALLY am only 21, I started going backwards at 26!:wink2:

My preconceptions WERE as follows:

I thought Sarah (sassy) was alot younger than she is
I thought Gigi must have started life in "Nails" at about 19/20
Scatty Fox - I would NEVER have said she was a day over 25

General consesus for most everyone else is that I thought you were all younger!

But like other before have said - age wouldn't matter to me - the proof is in the pudding - so to speak if you know what I mean!

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Omg - not sure if being told I appear a lot younger on here is a good or bad thing!! Mind you, joking aside I have always looked younger than my age - I had to take my passport with me to my hen night so I could prove my age to get into the pubs lol!

I think what has come across most on this thread is that it's what's on the inside that counts and not what's on the outside!!

 

[Nailsinlondon1]

Like most I started late in life lol...........I was 35 and 13 years down the line love every minute of it.............
But it really only kicked in for me in the last 2 years, so that makes me 30 lol ( I wished) ok guys it makes me 45 at that time.............My first Nail competition at the age of 46 and my first major win, first place at the age of 47, so you are never to old for anything you have a passion for..................

I am glad it has happend at this time in my life and not sooner.........I appreciate myself a lot more, because I have time for myself.......I have more confidence now, then when I was in my 20's....... and even early 30's........I have lived a lot more and have seen a lot more....2 husbands must be an education for in itself........ what was so important then seems so unimportant now lol....there for I have more patience as I know tomorrow is another day....I know now what makes me tick lol........ I got to know myself.....
My kids are grown up, my grandchildren are my joy, my husband is nearly grown up lol, so it's me time now......I can work, I can learn, I can compete, I can do anything I set my mind to and don't have to worry about who is collecting the kids from school, day care for them aso..........I have personal freedom of choices........ lol just asked Richard if I can type that lol..........

Age for me has been a huge advantage in work, rather than a disadvantage, because people do in their pre conception of things, rather listen and take advise from someone older............When I went for the Nail Technician job in the city, after I got the yep you got it call, I was told that my age was a huge advantage because, and thats their words, the teenage drama and the off to have a baby stage was not an issue for me.......... lol...........thats they felt confident that I was here to build a business and not just fill in time........
LOL I have my 10th anniversary next week in the city lol............so I will be in my 11th year of trading..............So you are never to old to start something new , as long as you love what you do and have a passion for it then any age is a good age to start out again ...............

Just reading some of the replies they are brill and yes it seems that being over 40 rules lol...........
I will be 48 in July and don't mind who knows it...............
Because like most of us oldies, inside I am still 20 and a bit........... ok 20 and a lot lol...............

 

[Sal]

Until I found this site I was worried that I was doing my career change too late - Im 27!

This site is truly full of inspirational people. I think it's great that this is an industry that can be entered into by people of such a wide age range.

 

[kimi]

Hi

Age has definately nothing to do with skill etc, you can be what you want to be .
I am well into my 40's and I have a 4yr old and a 2 yr old, left working for the bank some yrs ago (credit Analyst) and have started my own cleaning business and now after one course in nails want to learn more and more, my age will definately not stop me!!

So anyone out there thinking that they shouldnt because of their age, please think again.

Kimi

 

[Jacky]

I started Beauty when I was 34.....oddly enough around the time I divorced my 1st husband. I digged my heels in and thought "something for ME"
I had two "mini me's" at the time and they were still very dependant. However good family support, a really good pal (who I decided to marry last year...LOVE him to bits!) and determination, I did it!
Beauticians are often taught "nails" are BAD NEWS!
I wanted to know....why???? Why did most of (not all mind) my lecturers say this!?
I was determined to find out why? I found out by studying more and hey...guess wot!?....they arent BAD NEWS at all!!!
I have a passion for nails....something that has driven me for years but not really assumed its rightful place in my life till now. I followed this passion and continue to follow it. I will for as long as I am able!!!!
I started my little beauty business when I was 41 and Im lovin each and every day!
I have a little "mini hubby" now....hes almost 6 and watch out....I think he's getting ready to help me out! Boy does he love nails!!!