Has someone pulled the wool over my eyes?

[Kristalinx]

There's a question that's been bugging me for a while now. I've seen a lot of people bashing colleges and saying that they would never take students from colleges on and that apprentices are the way forward. Is this something that most salon owners feel? Is it just colleges like school colleges or all training that isn't an apprenticeship?

I go to a training school run by a chain of salons. I'm studying my level 2 and have covered about 12 different haircuts, colour application techniques, colour theory such as natural bases, undercoats, the colour star and the icc. I know the basics of prepigging and a little bit of colour correction. Also highlights and working with bleach. The people who train me are really supportive and encourage my enthusiasm, the picked me out to work on their colour trophy entry this year with them and have been teaching me how to style hair for photo shoots and competitions. I've been told by one of the teachers that the training is very similar to the Toni and Guy training where she learnt but I'm worried that I have been led into a false sense of security.
I was thinking that I was getting a good education and that on completion I would be an employable stylist. I have high hopes for where I would like to end up in my career but I'm concerned that I will stumble at the first hurdle and wont get hired anywhere.

Can anyone out there give me some indication of whether there are jobs out there for college leavers? And could anyone tell me what they would expect a qualified level 2 to do so I can check for any gaps in my skills and maybe look to taking some extra classes.

Sorry about the long post, I just started having a mini career crisis!

 

[AlexDavis]

I trained at a private academy which alot of people also frown upon and got my first job within 5 days and was managing it within a year. If you want to make it work you'll make it work, it might not be easy but with ambition and determination the world can be your oyster xx

 

[Pinkpants]

Sounds like you are receiving great up to date training. The colleges around me are not very good and I don't send my apprentices to them,I prefer to use a private academy and train in salon.If you work hard, practice practice practice and put yourself out there doors will open for you.

 

[Kristalinx]

Thanks, you've set my mind at ease a bit. I've heard so many people say colleges are useless it gets a bit disheartening.

 

[LilCheekyMonkey]

I'm not a salon owner or employer, however I think all types of training receives a bad press. It's always down to the individual, if that person works exceptionally hard to learn then it shows in there work. If they don't it also shows. You will always get good and bad training providers, but it is what you make of it that matters.

A friend of mine trained in college as a beauty therapist and frankly I have never seen such a bad French manicure! However her spray tans are amazing. Another friend trained directly with the company and produces fantastic nails.

Like I said training is what you make of it, you put in 110% you'll get 110%. You put in 10% you'll only get 10%.

It sounds like you've got a very good training provider and your dedicated and working hard. Keep it up!

 

[natb87]

From my experience as a qualified of 10 years, is when we trialed college leavers (who have maybe done 3 days a week at college) they seem to need a little push and re train over the things they may have done in their first year etc at college. For example, I had been qualified 6 months, and we trialed a college leaver. She took 1hr to unsuccessfully apply a basic root tint, which she hadnt done since she passed it off at college. But she wouldnt accept that she needed a little more training because she was "qualified". Whereas with an apprenticeship with say a day at college, youre always on the go, mixing with the clients, stylists get you involved, watching. And I think that you learn a hell of a lot from simply watching a stylist (a guess as long as they're a good one haha).

So, as long as you put it all the effort you can, you'll do fine. People do employ college leavers, you just have to be confident in yourself. You're only going to get out what you put in

Good luck

Sent from my GT-I9300 using SalonGeek mobile app

 

[Kristalinx]

Thanks everyone this is great to hear, I always put every effort into my work because I do want to go far with my career. I'm glad my college sounds like a good one because hopefully other salons in my area will know of it and think it's good too.