Career advice please for a new qualifed

[Phoenixeternia]

Hey I've only just discovered this forum, so hi!
I'm just needing a bit of advice and opinions on where to go next as my tutor wasn't overly helpful on the matter and I'm left confused.

I'm 27yrs old and passed my level 2 training this year in hairdressing and I'm starting my level 3 this september, I'm just worried about my employability, our tutor kept telling us that no salon would hire us at our age (it was a 19+ class) without level 3 and no work experience and now I have finished I don't feel confident enough to work alone for anything other than the very basic cuts and I feel under experienced to apply for a job and that I will just get turned down.

I would need to work part time due to my little one and college anyway so i was wondering about volunteering on saturdays but I don't want to get stuck making teas and shampooing all day and nothing else I want the opportunity to get hands on and learn and I worry that they will just see me as a saturday girl.

My course was college based but everything I did was on real people its literally only more advanced cutting techniques and colouring I feel I am lacking.

If i applied for a paying job rather than volunteer would i be a junior and only get booked simpler things until my experience built?

Thanks to anyone taking the time to read this and answer.

 

[Brooke_09]

Hey I've only just discovered this forum, so hi!
I'm just needing a bit of advice and opinions on where to go next as my tutor wasn't overly helpful on the matter and I'm left confused.

I'm 27yrs old and passed my level 2 training this year in hairdressing and I'm starting my level 3 this september, I'm just worried about my employability, our tutor kept telling us that no salon would hire us at our age (it was a 19+ class) without level 3 and no work experience and now I have finished I don't feel confident enough to work alone for anything other than the very basic cuts and I feel under experienced to apply for a job and that I will just get turned down.

I would need to work part time due to my little one and college anyway so i was wondering about volunteering on saturdays but I don't want to get stuck making teas and shampooing all day and nothing else I want the opportunity to get hands on and learn and I worry that they will just see me as a saturday girl.

My course was college based but everything I did was on real people its literally only more advanced cutting techniques and colouring I feel I am lacking.

If i applied for a paying job rather than volunteer would i be a junior and only get booked simpler things until my experience built?

Thanks to anyone taking the time to read this and answer.

I am a beauty geek but felt exactly the same as you do when I left college, I felt completely un pre paired because although we worked on clients in college out in the 'real' world it is very different but you just have to put yourself out there and you will learn through your experiences which no amount of teaching can give you. If I were you I would talk to a couple of salons and see if you can work something out? In the meantime practice practice practice on anyone and everyone! I know its difficult when you have a little one but you will do this! I would also say with regards to level 3 go for it x

Sent from my GT-I9300 using SalonGeek mobile app

 

[Hair_Passion]

I would recommend shadowing an experienced stylist, if you have any friends in the industry at all? You will pick up so much this way, techniques, how to talk to clients, deal with different situations etc, but as above you have to put yourself out there and gain experience that way...the good and the bad experiences! Take the time also to get stuck into the chemistry side and learn the science behind it all.
Good luck with everything and just keep going [emoji106] x

 

[Phoenixeternia]

Thank you all for the advice.
Unfortunately I don't have any friends in the industry but this gives me a better idea of what to write on a CV/apply for and has helped to motivate me and give me the confidence to apply rather than wait till I finish level 3.

how annoying i just realised my typo in the title too.

 

[AcidPerm]

Sorry, but your tutor is correct.

Realistically, you will struggle to get a foothold straight out of college with just your level 2 basic skills. Most level 2 college graduates wouldn't be able to look at a hairstyle and think, I know how to recreate that. Their colour knowledge is often very basic too. Do you have any experience of cutting men's hair?

A lot of Salons still use the Apprenticeship route to recruit juniors as they can train them to their standards.
You'll struggle to even get a paid Saturday job as by law, they'd have to pay minimum wage (over 19yrs) and they could get a 16 yr old for much less money.

Definitely try volunteering your services but don't expect to be allowed to do anything other than a basic blow dry unless they're very busy.

You will need your level 3 or equivalent to improve your options. If your little one has some free nursery hours or in school, will your tutor let you put in extra hours in the college salon to gain more experience?

Also, find out what courses your local wholesaler runs. Some of the colour ones are free or very cheap. Even if it's not a brand you use, you can pick up lots of useful practical tips on these courses from fellow hairdressers plus you could try and get friendly with anyone that owns a salon.

Google hairdressing wholesaler and your local towns, and see what comes up. I used to live near Bristol and there were 4 wholesalers in the city. Aston & Fincher and Capital ran a range of hairdressing courses quite regularly inc. basic barbering skills.

 

[Phoenixeternia]

Sorry, but your tutor is correct.
Most level 2 college graduates wouldn't be able to look at a hairstyle and think, I know how to recreate that. Their colour knowledge is often very basic too.

That's exactly how i felt when leaving, I had a client want a restyle from long to graduated bob and although I knew the techniques and how do it, and i did do it and it looked damn good if i do say so xD i didn't feel confident and kept asking the tutor to check my work as I went through the cut - which wouldn't cut it in a salon. The colours I felt I understood pretty well although it was very basic but the chemical understanding and mixing I grasped fairly easy but I want to know more about fashion colours which was not really touched on, Hell colour corrections weren't even part of level 2 but our tutor was pretty good at pushing us and I had a colour correction client but yeah i need MORE of EVERYTHING!

A lot of Salons still use the Apprenticeship route to recruit juniors as they can train them to their standards.
You'll struggle to even get a paid Saturday job as by law, they'd have to pay minimum wage (over 19yrs) and they could get a 16 yr old for much less money.

That's exactly what our tutor said, I did think about doing level 2 apprenticeship but with the two kiddys and little to no childcare assistance i wasn't possible

Definitely try volunteering your services but don't expect to be allowed to do anything other than a basic blow dry unless they're very busy.
You will need your level 3 or equivalent to improve your options. If your little one has some free nursery hours or in school, will your tutor let you put in extra hours in the college salon to gain more experience?

With the level 3 they open up the salon earlier than the level 2 salon so we are doing the basics while learning the level 3 alongside as more advanced techniques and clients come in. Our college only runs the level 3 course for 1 class so the salon is literally only open the days i will be attending but they have a sister college closer to me that runs the level2 so if they do alternate days I will ask if I can join some of their salon classes when they open up, I said I would happily go down and be a model for the students and the tutor there was really nice so i'm sure if they are busy it wouldn't be to much of a problem. - thanks for the tip!

Also, find out what courses your local wholesaler runs. Some of the colour ones are free or very cheap. Even if it's not a brand you use, you can pick up lots of useful practical tips on these courses from fellow hairdressers plus you could try and get friendly with anyone that owns a salon.
Google hairdressing wholesaler and your local towns, and see what comes up. I used to live near Bristol and there were 4 wholesalers in the city. Aston & Fincher and Capital ran a range of hairdressing courses quite regularly inc. basic barbering skills.

I want to do a barbering class at some point we had men come in for cuts but never actually learnt how to cut mens hair, our tutor did her best but it was a separate barber mini course but it was at the sister college over 1hr away and started while we were still in class O_O - i might be able to do that during this course as I will be at that college and deffo on the extra training courses.

Thanks its good to hear tips, pointers and advice from others I'll see if i can get some time in a real salon. Should I write a CV pretty much asking for work experience?

 

[tasha95]

I also felt like this about 2 years ago when I first qualified and I did an apprenticeship for both levels 2 and 3! But in a sloooow salon where all I did as juinor!! But now I can finally say in pretty confident!
The best advise I can give you is yes, if you get into a salon voluntarily definetly shadow other stylist and watch how they do everything! It helps aloooot when you finally get your hands on clients! But, before cuts and colours learn to wow them with you finishes! A good bouncing blow or some glossy waves are so simple but can be amazing! Once people see you can do that to their hair they'll trust you with more!
Hair ups as well, sometimes the simple ones are the ones that can impress!

 

[AllanJudge]

Look on some website called Salon guinea pig. It's like a networking site for people like yourself (and me, as I have the same problem) to find people who are willing to let you practice on them for free or very low cost.

It's just a way to build up your confidence.

 

[sg60]

Hey I've only just discovered this forum, so hi!
I'm just needing a bit of advice and opinions on where to go next as my tutor wasn't overly helpful on the matter and I'm left confused.

I'm 27yrs old and passed my level 2 training this year in hairdressing and I'm starting my level 3 this september, I'm just worried about my employability, our tutor kept telling us that no salon would hire us at our age (it was a 19+ class) without level 3 and no work experience and now I have finished I don't feel confident enough to work alone for anything other than the very basic cuts and I feel under experienced to apply for a job and that I will just get turned down.

I would need to work part time due to my little one and college anyway so i was wondering about volunteering on saturdays but I don't want to get stuck making teas and shampooing all day and nothing else I want the opportunity to get hands on and learn and I worry that they will just see me as a saturday girl.

My course was college based but everything I did was on real people its literally only more advanced cutting techniques and colouring I feel I am lacking.

If i applied for a paying job rather than volunteer would i be a junior and only get booked simpler things until my experience built?

Thanks to anyone taking the time to read this and answer.

Before I done my level 3 I'm now HNC qualified but before my level 3 I went mobile! I felt if I didn't I wouldn't have as much confidence as I do. I had none and when I started Freelance I feel I could put my hand at anything and learn through mistakes other than someone shadowing you and always telling you what to do