How long to get a job in hairdressing?

[Ditzy]

My evening class NVQ 1&2 in hairdressing starts Tuesday WOO HOO:green:

What I'd like to know is, how long do I have to wait before I will be able to realistically look for a job in hairdressing? It's a 2 year course, I currently work as an administration officer. I'm a qualified make up artist, and also have a VTCT in nail treatments, and company training in nail extensions.

I do have two teenagers to support and a morgage, but currently receive tax credits which I think will increase if I have to take a pay drop.

Would I be able to get a job after the first year, or will it be difficult before being fully qualified?

Oh, I'm 37 years old, I'm guessing this will work against me?

Now go have a lie down, all those questions must have frazzled your brains:green:

Thanks for all honest replies, but be gentle:hug:

 

[oey]

Some hairdressers will take you on board as a trainee while you are at college but would imagine the pay would be quite low. Try and contact some salons near you and ask their opinions.

 

[*JOANNE*]

My evening class NVQ 1&2 in hairdressing starts Tuesday WOO HOO:green:

What I'd like to know is, how long do I have to wait before I will be able to realistically look for a job in hairdressing? It's a 2 year course, I currently work as an administration officer. I'm a qualified make up artist, and also have a VTCT in nail treatments, and company training in nail extensions.

I do have two teenagers to support and a morgage, but currently receive tax credits which I think will increase if I have to take a pay drop.

Would I be able to get a job after the first year, or will it be difficult before being fully qualified?

Oh, I'm 37 years old, I'm guessing this will work against me?

Now go have a lie down, all those questions must have frazzled your brains:green:

Thanks for all honest replies, but be gentle:hug:

i start nvq 1/2 hairdressing tomorrow...age 35 lol.....good luck

 

[lotus blossom]

i start next monday nvq 1 and 2 day release aged 36 and a half!! good luck to all of us eek!

 

[tina 1]

Im 34 and start NVQ Beauty Therapy level 2 on Tuesday and im so nervous.

 

[Ditzy]

Hey, we're the Golden Girls of hair and beauty:hug:

Don't anyone be nervous (she says, quivering in a corner), when I started my make up artist course I was 34, second oldest in the class with loads of 16 &17 year olds, and ended up loving it!

Good luck to everyone starting this week:hug:

 

[cuteycalls]

i think i beat you all i have just finished nvq level 2 in hairdressing and im 49 yep you read it right 49

 

[rachiebaby]

I teach hairdressing, and presuming you are still working, but doing the NVQ1 + 2 as an evening course, you will be completing the course in 2 years. You will be a fully qualified hairdresser, but a salon will not take you on easily as you do not have salon experience, if you were lucky they will take you on but you will be like a young stylist (still washing hair etc, doing salon jobs) but doing either model nights to gain fuller experience or clients in the day for cheaper prices to build up experience and clients.
If this is the way it could be happening for you, I would suggest working in a salon on saturdays to get the salon experience and hopefully they will give you model nights and it will be a leg in the door for you until you qualify.
sounds like a lot of work at the mo for you but I think you will be very hard pushed to walk out of college into a job and on the shop floor straight away, (the full time college course kids have the same problem when they leave fully qualified).
Your age should not be an issue, it is really good you are doing something you want to do, well done.
The other thing you can do once you qualify is do an intensive cutting course with a reputable company to get you well up to speed, give you a lot more confidence as well.
If you find after the course it is too hard finding a place to take you on , please dont think you can go mobile, you will definately not have the experience, you need people to bounce off and ask ideas for at least 2 years, if you were considering mobile, I try and tell my students to wait until at least 4 years salon experience.

Hope this has helped, and if you have any questions at all, let me know.
:green:

 

[Ditzy]

Thanks Rachiebaby, I think it's good for people to be honest.

We can't obtain the qualification unless we get salon experience. Some of the students have already started doing saturdays, I plan to do this after christmas, at which time I plan to drop my hours at work, to fit it in and have a little time for other things.

My long term plan is to work part time in a salon, and run my mobile/home business the rest of the week. It'll be mainly make up/beauty/nails with hair up's included, which I already hold a VTCT for.

I think I may do as you suggest after the course and do the cutting course, I also plan on doing the level 3 NVQ too.

Thanks for your help and advice :hug:

 

[rachiebaby]

Sounds a good plan, though you may find it slightly easier to geet a Saturday job if you do it b4 christmas, if you get one by november, the salon will be starting its christmas rush, after christmas it will be very quiet and the may be more reluctant to hire anyone.

just a suggestion, depends how tired you are with work, kids and training!

Rachiebaby

 

[saspeterson]

As a mother of 4, and a mature student I returned to college full time and completed NVQ2 Hairdressing and NVQ2 Beauty Therapy which i fitted in around school time. One day a week I also did work experience in a salon to gain hands on experience, which also help me start to build confidence along with my own clients. I then returned to college the following year to do NVQ3 Beauty and NVQ2 Nail Technology.

Since leaving college, I am now renting a beauty room in a hair & beauty salon and have built up a healthy client base which is still growing.

I do not think I would have had the confidence to run the beauty salon if I had not worked in the salon voluntarily during my course.

I think working in a salon provides hands on experience that can not be obtained from college alone.

Even when you are qualified, and fresh out of college, you need to bear in mind that college teaches the basics, and when seeking employment you will still have to start at the bottom, making tea and sweeping up etc, and build your way up.

Working within the hairdressing and/or beauty industry is a job which is constantly being updated and new products and treatments are forever being introduced, which means you will constantly be learning as they happen, you never know it all! lol.

So my advice to you would be to get into a salon as soon as possible, saturday jobs as already discussed earlier is a good idea, or like me, why not offer to work voluntary to gain valuable salon experience

Hope this helps
Sas