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livlivkerr

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Hi! I’m hoping someone will be able to help me out with a few questions I have about becoming a nail tech :)

I have enrolled in a level 2, 2 week acrylic nail course with Candor Professional Beauty Academy (CPBA) which is a government funded course. Once qualified it will give me the certificate I need to get insurance to start with clients. Firstly, has anyone used this company and are they any good? My main reason for going with them was because of the government funding, I don’t have much spare cash and was hoping to get a second income out of this!

secondly, what’s the best starter kit I can buy and which brand? I feel a bit overwhelmed with how many brands there are out there haha!

any other helpful tips and advice on what I may need to help or just anything in general when first starting out would be massively appreciated!

Thanks a lot, Liv xx
 
Hiya. I can give you tips on kits I have used.

Split it into Two kinds 1, Cheapo (I used these to practice of family and friends with to get my hand-eye co-ordination. There is no course that can replace the experience necessary in order to get this. So practice practice practice..... Especially with acrylic. Gel and also has its pro's and cons for working with. Polygel is a great idea for begininers as its a hybrid and gives you the stiffness of acrylic but the time to play with it and manipulate it like gel before you cure it in possition. It's best to do this with the cheapo stuff Amazon, Ebay, Aliexpress). 2, When starting out professionally however you will want a really good system that won't fail you, so decided on a company that will be able to provide you with great customer service and technical help. Don't try to mix products ATM. Maybe later when you get some experience you can mix and match according to your experience. But doing that initially will only lead to client disappointment if there's a product failure because some things don't mix. Overall I would choose a good well-known range that even your clients know. I have worked with OPI. Start Nails. Jessica. CND.

Customer service is top for me, especially for technical help. They should know the ins and outs of their products and can pass this knowledge on to you so that each set of nails you turn out can be the best and keep them clients coming back.

Hope this helps

Nicky x
 
Please avoid using gels or gel polishes from eBay, Amazon or AliExpress. I know they are cheap and money is tight while learning, but I am seeing a LOT of students and new Nail Techs who have developed nail product allergies from these products and in some cases, their career has ended before it began.
 
I haven’t heard of that particular training academy but have they advised you to buy your own kit? Most educators will supply a kit or tell you which one to buy so all students are using the same tools and products.
 
Hi! I’m hoping someone will be able to help me out with a few questions I have about becoming a nail tech :)
I have enrolled in a level 2, 2 week acrylic nail course with Candor Professional Beauty Academy (CPBA) which is a government funded course.

Firstly, you can’t achieve a VRQ level 2 from a 2 week course. That’s unrealistic.
When I looked at their website, the level 2 course is 4 months/16 weeks.

Their short courses are accredited by the insurance company ABT but they are not the equivalent of a level 2 course and they don’t pretend to be.
If you had already completed a full level 2 course but wanted additional training in acrylics, a short course can be beneficial although, if you’d already learnt the basics on the level 2, you’d be better off paying for 1:1 training to perfect your technique as becoming competent in acrylics takes an awful lot of practice.

If you’re looking to work in a salon, the ABT accreditation will be worthless. You will need your proper level 2 because it covers the health and safety aspects as well as basic A&P.

What struck me when reading their online information was that the tutor teaching the course has so little experience. To teach the VRQ courses in a normal FE college, a tutor needs a minimum of a level 3 VRQ/NVQ, a separate teaching qualification and several years experience working in salons.

This is what the course tutor has to say taken directly from the website ...
“Once I finished the beauty therapy course, I began to work in a salon as a nail technician. After about six months I was given the opportunity to teach at CPBA and I’ve now been tutoring at the beauty academy for about two years and I absolutely love it, it’s amazing. I like that I can give the beauty knowledge that I learnt at CPBA back to the students and enjoy watching them learn.”

When paying for a course that’s going to be the foundation of a career, you should look for the best training that you can afford. You need a tutor to have a few years of practical experience behind them. That’s the invaluable information that they are passing on to you, the student, the basics you can learn from reading a good Nail Tech book.
 
Hmmm, I hear what you say Haircuts and I largely agree with you except I can imagine, as in all industries, there will be those who have been operating for a long time who will be a bit set in their ways. Not necessarily updating their own skills and knowledge.

It would be handy to have taster sessions before enrolling on courses. That way you could meet the trainer/educator and gain insight into their teaching skills as well as pick through the proposed curriculum.

The worst teacher I ever had was when I learned to sail...he had sailed for years, had an enormous ego, a short fuse and hopeless communication skills. Spent 20 mins in the morning presenting his subject of the day and then left the crew to figure things out for themselves, paying no attention.

Thankfully one young chap in our crew was taking his Day Skipper exam and he was a great teacher. It was him who taught us to sail, even though he had less experience he had the understanding and was able to pass it on effectively.
 

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