confused - please help

[chloe2005]

Hi,
When I left school I wanted to study beauty therapy but my parents said that I have to do A-Levels. When I finished my A-Levels I applied to a beauty therapy course and got accepted, my parents when mad, so I managed to get onto a business studies degree to make them happy. I am now in the last year of my degree. I enjoyed studying business studies and it made me think about self-employment as I would like to put what I have learnt into practice. I have thought about doing a beauty therapy or nail technology course when I graduate this summer. As I am now 22 I do not care what my parents want from me anymore, I just want to be happy. The thing is I am scared that when I finally get to live out my dream of going to learn beauty therapy/nail technology, it might not live up to my expectations. When I finish my degree there are higher paid jobs I could apply for that are relevant to my degree, but I think I will enjoy nailtechnology/beauty therapy more. But going into the world of nail technology/beauty therapy would be a big step for me. So I have some questions to ask anyone that is willing to reply.
1. Is working as a nail technician an enjoyable job?
2. Do you find it glamorous, or is it only glamorous for the clients?
3. Is the salary ok for someone renting a room in a hairdresser/gym..etc
4. Is it easy to set up as self-employed, does it take long to get clients?
5. Do you think it is possible to make a good salary in time (e.g. about £24,000 a year before tax)?

I would be so grateful of any replies as I am getting very stressed and confused as I do not know what to do with my life.

I am not sure whether to go for it, or to just take a job relevant to my degree. I am so confused.

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Do you want to live your life full of what ifs? Go with your heart hun! I love being a nail technician. Can't say I'm rich, but that's cos I'm a spendaholic! But I am rich in the fact that I love my job, I never regret giving up a £40K salary plus perks.

And if it isn't what you expected you still have your degree to fall back on.

 

[naturalbeauty]

what was your job before sassy hassy

 

[chloe2005]

i hope this doesn't sound rude, but how much do you earn as a nail technician?
Thanks,
Chloe

 

[sambam]

Hiya!

Im 22 and did a-levels too. I wanted to be a psychologist but looking back i think it was because i wanted my parents to be proud, my friends were doing it, i wasnt sure what i wanted and also cos i wanted the wage ! But, i didnt enjoy it!
Id always thought about beauty and nails so when i finished my a-levels i decided to do it. i love it and really enjoy it. i dont see it as just a job because its a hobby too!
Some of the other geeks will help you more with the wage side of things because they have their own businesses. im working on it
It certainly can be done chick. Thers some awesome nail geeks on this site that have proven that!
I know how you feel and you dont want to upset your parents, but im sure they would want you to be happy. I say do what your heart tells you to do. With a business degree you will kick butt !!!!!!! :Love:

 

[chloe2005]

thanks for the quick replies. im just feeling so stressed at the moment as all my friends on my course are looking for graduate scheme jobs at the moment, and im not interseted in any of the jobs they are looking at.
I have told them about my idea but they do not understand, they think it will be a waste of my business studies degree.
im so stressed at the moment it is making me feel ill.

 

[Tilly Ann]

Chill out hun!!!
Why don't you find a job now which involves you degree and then train to be a Nail Technician in your free time? That way you will still be making use of your current qualifications as well as doing nails.

HTH!​

 

[naturalbeauty]

yeah then you can decide

 

[Sassy Hassy]

what was your job before sassy hassy

I was Fleet Sales Manager for a Ford Dealer. I even won £12K in gift vouchers one year too! I was in the top 100 sales people in the country two years running. The salary was great but I was too knackered to enjoy it!

I cannot tell you my income as I keep investing (another word for spending lol ) in new prodcuts and treatments and have some very expensive machinery! Last year my turnover was £24K, if that's any help. Remember that most businesses do not make a profit in the first three years of trading.

Chloe, if it's any help I quit my degree. My mum was furious and said I would regret it. I have to say I never have and I'm now 42! I have been a nail tech for 5 years and even my family are amazed as it is the longest I have stuck at anything really, and I enjoy it more and more.

I would however say that although we are in it to make a living, most of us on here have a passion for what they do rather than the money they make. However if you are prepared to work hard then there is gold in them thar nails!!!

 

[chloe2005]

I am planning to work full time after i graduate in an admin job or something, as most nail courses are part time anyway and will take a year. I just dont want to waste my time and money doing the course if the earning potential is not very good afterwards. The courses I have been looking at are vctc manicure and pedicure, vctc nail technology and vctc nail are. this would take me a year to do this part time in the evening. does anyone know if these courses are any good? would they qualify me as a nail technician?
If i do this I was thinking of renting a room somewhere? Does anyone else do this and does it have earning potential?

 

[naturalbeauty]

i would defo do a Creative Nail Design Course. i think that college nail courses are a waste of time

 

[chloe2005]

i am really passionate about nails and beauty, its all i have ever wanted to do, but my parents think it is a bad idea. I have to be realstic and think about the earning potential though.

 

[naturalbeauty]

well would you rather do a job that pays loads of money and not be happy or do a job that pays OK and you LOVE???

 

[chloe2005]

i have to think about my future though. with the pension crisis i will need to earn a decent amount of money to save for retirement. i also need to be able to pay a mortgage. if it goes wrong and i hardly earn any money my family will look down on me. i want to do something that i both love and that will enable me to have a decent standard of living.

 

[naturalbeauty]

you keep on about your family. if they cared about you that much then they would help you do what your dream is

 

[Katmoz33]

youve only got one life so you might aswel try out as many things as possible, so save some cash go to creative and do thier foundation course and see what you think ? i think if you are really interested you will end up loving it!

better to regret something you have done than something you havent

:Love: good luck :Love:

 

[Fab Freak]

i would defo do a Creative Nail Design Course. i think that college nail courses are a waste of time

Ive got to second that

 

[chloe2005]

They are not like that though. I never seem to live up to their standards. I need to earn a decent wage so I don't have to live with them anymore, I need to stand on my own two feet. I will go insane if I have to live with them much longer, they have made my confidence so low over the years.

 

[naturalbeauty]

well i would ignore them and do what your dream is or when you are older and doing the job your PARENTS wanted you to do you WILL REGRET it

 

[chloe2005]

yeah, but my dream has to make some money, or I will have to live with them, and they will drive me insane. If I go for it, and it does not pay much, I will still have to live with them. That is why I am so confused. If i get a job related to my degree, i may not enjoy it, but atleast it would enable me to live my own life away from my parents. That is why I am so confused.