Hairdressing lecturer/teacher training?

[*Yasmin*]

Hi,

I'm after some advice on working hours, job satisfaction, and if allowed, salary for hairdressing trainers and college lecturers.

I'm due to start my DET in September and so far all i've been told (even by the college) is to 'be prepared it is alot of hard work and a lot of people drop out!' .. I'm not expecting it to be easy, and it's something i've wanted to do for some time mainly because I want to progress and feel like i'm ready to take on a new challenge. That said I have a little boy to look after and work part time. From my understanding it is a one day course and i'd need to set an extra day or half day aside to do voluntary hours in a college, and then obviously the extra time it will take to complete assignments etc. Just wondering how people have found it and how intense it is in comparrisson with level 3?

I want to be realistic about it before I go into it and not to sound selfish but I want to try and make sure it will be the right path for me because I wouldn't want to spend a lot of time doing voluntary work when i'd have to find childcare and be away from my son if it isn't going to be the right choice. Can the hours be quite flexible or is it usually set hours? Also do people notice alot of difference salary wise from being in a salon? Do people find that they have as much job satisfaction?

I think i'm mostly worried about the fact that I enjoy my job and it's never something I wake up and dread going into, we have a great bunch of people and we're just like a little family. And I know you can never learn everything but sometimes I want and need a new challenge, and where I work i've been on the same salary for 5years since I started.. since then i've sent myself on courses and become level 3 qualified and trained in extensions we also took a few months out and i've worked in Australia which helped further my knowledge and as a self respect thing I often feel I do deserve a bit more because being content is lovely and I know i'm lucky there but it doesn't pay the bills!

I'm excited at the thought of the teaching and I think it would be a really rewarding job I guess i'm just after some info, tips or advice from people who have done it! Thank you in advance!

X

 

[AcidPerm]

I really don't want to put you off....

In the salon, you work with your client on a 1:1 basis and work fairly autonomously assuming you are a senior stylist, occasionally assisting colleagues with their dilemmas. Chances are, you feel reasonably appreciated on a daily basis.

In a college setting, there's a lot of internal politics to negotiate. You will be teaching to a set curriculum that you won't have a huge amount of input into and expected to handle difficult (moody) students with little support. Your timetable can be switched without a lot of notice and you might be required to teach additional classes that you don't feel adequately prepared for. In the UK, a lot of colleges are struggling financially at the moment and morale is pretty low so it's not for the feint hearted.

Just make sure you go into it with your eyes wide open, take off the rosy specs and you'll be fine.

 

[*Yasmin*]

Thanks for your reply, there's definitely a lot to think about. I would've liked to gain voluntary hours for experience before starting the course but the college have told me it's not possible to begin before September! Taking into account what you've said I really feel like I ought to try it firsthand before I go ahead and enrol on a 2 year course

I've also notcied there aaren't a lot of jobs going which I guess is another risk i'd have to take for two years of training and potentially struggling to find work! x

 

[user 67280]

Hi Yasmin, I'm in the exact same boat as you. I just want to know if the money will be any good and I can't seem to find an honest and accurate answer anywhere!