Being a 'Professional'

[Matthew Taylor]

I just want to pick your brains......
At what point in your career have you started calling yourself a 'PROFESSIONAL Skin Therapist' or beauty therapist or whatever your forte is?

I know that finishing college means your qualified but its far from being a professional really, the lack of things we actually get taught in the curriculum.
So how long has it taken some of you to assume the 'professional' title??

Be great to hear your views

Matt

 

[RubySlippers]

I take "professional" to mean that you earn a living from what you do. I know it can relate to someone attitude too but I think of it in terms of employment status. A professional earns their main income from what they do. In my opinion anyway

 

[Velveteen]

Well at what point in your career did you start calling yourself a professional, Matt?

 

[kylieb]

I just want to pick your brains......
At what point in your career have you started calling yourself a 'PROFESSIONAL Skin Therapist' or beauty therapist or whatever your forte is?

I know that finishing college means your qualified but its far from being a professional really, the lack of things we actually get taught in the curriculum.
So how long has it taken some of you to assume the 'professional' title??

Be great to hear your views

Matt

I know that finishing college means your qualified but its far from being a professional really, the lack of things we actually get taught in the curriculum.

I wouldnt say i 100% agree with this. I think depending on what college you go to, most Therapists come out of college very professional at what they do. It's going into salons that make them pick up bad habits and make them become unprofessional. As for lack of things we get taught...I think I was taught too much. Almost over the top with certain things. As I found some of it wasnt at all like this in industry such as clinical waste bins for e.g or clean your sink and trolley before and after every client.
That's just my opinion though. I'm sure everyone is different. x

 

[essentia]

I think that if you do something as a living then you are a professional but we all know that levels of professionalism vary!!. However I think a true professional is one who has the attitude where they always strive to give the best service, keep themselves abreast of recent trends and training and truly love what they do. Learning is life long so I do not say that after x amount of time you suddenly become a pro as you can be doing something for a long time and not realised things have moved on. It is rather a constant striving to make yourself the best you can be.

 

[welshbeauty]

What do you think matt?
When did you call yourself a professional an in what area?
If you dont mind me asking?

 

[BABSann]

I just want to pick your brains......
At what point in your career have you started calling yourself a 'PROFESSIONAL Skin Therapist' or beauty therapist or whatever your forte is?

I know that finishing college means your qualified but its far from being a professional really, the lack of things we actually get taught in the curriculum.
So how long has it taken some of you to assume the 'professional' title??

Be great to hear your views

Matt

My college was extremely apt at making me a professional.I got my first job before the official date of leaving college and I felt very prepared with my qualifications and curriculum content.

Different colleges vary I know.I know some salons wont even take on students from certain colleges given their reputation and this is really sad for the students,especially as they come out qualified and full of beans.

My take on ,'professional',is that we take on the role of being professional as soon as we set to work.'Professional is how we are to be seen to our clients,how we work,follow treatments,dress,carry out consultations.It's about the whole package.So in answer to your question I saw myself as a professional from the offset.HTH:hug:

 

[Lynne Baker]

clean your sink and trolley before and after every client.

Um, does this mean that you don't clean your sink and trolley after every client?!

 

[Lorrainelola]

Um, does this mean that you don't clean your sink and trolley after every client?!

I know, I had to read that twice. Surely not.

 

[kimmi2506]

hi i have not yet finished college but i have been looky enough to work in a few salons i have finally decided to rent a room and when i work i act very proffesional and i work to what i think is a proffesional standard but i dont class myself as a pro i think you need to be in the industry a few yesrs and have tryed everything from hotnwax to cream wax to espa to solutions and can carry out treatments in a proffesional manner i think you can call yourself proffesional when you think you are a pro does this make sense sorry for the babble
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[Matthew Taylor]

Well I just call myself a skin therapist, rather than a professional skin therapist because i didnt want to sound like i was 'bigging' myself up by giving myself the title. and hence asking what peoples views were on calling themself this.

But like 'Kimmi2506' said above does calling yourself a professional mean youre a PRO?????

Yes I can understand what some of you have said about colleges, I suppose many are hit and miss. Id like to think that ive learned alot, but I have had to top it up with my own studies and further training and IDI courses. I really dont think I would know half as much as I do without doing that which is a shame because it should have been part of college for me!

So, im gathering that if you feel you are good at what you do and do it to a high standard and know what youre talking about then using that word is fine?!!!!

 

[kylieb]

Um, does this mean that you don't clean your sink and trolley after every client?!

I clean me trolley after every client for sure but I could never understand at college why I had to clean it after my client and then before. I think my tutor had ocd. I find this odd!? As for my sink, I didnt do this after every client no x

 

[Lynne Baker]

I clean my trolleys after every client, and if there is a delay between one and the next then it gets a clean before the next one. I don't know what might have landed on the trolley in between times.
As for the sink it gets cleaned after every client. It's glass so it would be very obvious if it weren't clean, and as we all know perception is one reality, and I want my clients to perceive a spotless salon.

 

[persianista]

I think the moment I became a hair pro was when I got my first stylist job. It's when YOU are in charge of the outcome of a service or treatment without anyone else watching over you.

 

[Velveteen]

So this is more about titles than attitude then. (That's cool. Helps to know the angle).

Well I just call myself a skin therapist, rather than a professional skin therapist because i didnt want to sound like i was 'bigging' myself up by giving myself the title. and hence asking what peoples views were on calling themself this.

In this context, the word 'professional' is redundant as this is assumed by the title you've used. For example, when you go to a hairdresser or a dentist, you automatically assume they're a professional hairdresser..or dentist.

Unlike the above two, though, you don't have to have any formal qualification to practice as a skin/beauty therapist or nailie so pretty much anyone can call themselves a skin therapist, beauty therapist, nail technician etc.

My focus here would be whether the person calling themselves a skin therapist actually was performing that service, performing it properly and without supervision. For example, there's a salon near me who perform only waxing services and yet call themselves beauty therapists. Are they? Hmmmm.

:lick:

 

[Matthew Taylor]

Well I suppose its about both attitude and title.

Its been said above that theres a difference between calling your self a professional and calling yourself a 'PRO'. I suppose Im wanting to know what degree of experience do you allow before you can say that you are a pro/expert?
Its just interesting to hear everyones views on this, and Thanks to everyone that has replied so far!

 

[Velveteen]

Its been said above that theres a difference between calling your self a professional and calling yourself a 'PRO'

Yeah, one's a word and the other's an abbreviation of that word. :wink2:
Trying to differentiate between the two is called splitting hairs.

Enjoy!

 

[BABSann]

Yeah, one's a word and the other's an abbreviation of that word. :wink2:
Trying to differentiate between the two is called splitting hairs.

Enjoy!

My sentiments exactly,actually 'pro',sounds like something else altogether and something I would never call myself or my colleagues:Scared:

 

[Martin Duffy]

My sentiments exactly,actually 'pro',sounds like something else altogether and something I would never call myself or my colleagues:Scared:

My thought exactly - a profession of an altogether different nature!!

 

[Matthew Taylor]

Ok, Everyone has their own interpritation of words.
Maybe saying 'professional' was the wrong way to describe what I mean then.

Can we say 'expert' then....

I have deffinately seen things out there with people saying they are a skin care expert. So do any of you say this? and does this put you on a pedestal?