How to gain experience?

[HayleySullivan]

I have qualified in nail enhancements gel and acylic but do not feel good or confdent enough yet to charge and add this to my list of services. how do you get good enough?? i have a few friends i do nails for but not as many as i need to be getting enough expirience - but dont want to work on clients yet. or is this what you done?? worked on clients at a reduced rate maybe???

 

[loubylou]

The only way to gain that experience is to get out there and go for it,
1 week after i passed my foundation course with CND i went and rented a table in a hairdressers,
i put a sign in the window saying

Models required
for full sets of nails
by newly qualified
Creative Nail Technician
£15.00 per set​

my nail skills were dreadful and it took me almost 4 hrs to do one set at first but clients were understanding about it because i had been honest,
i gained lots of experience from doing it this way,
i was at the hairdressers for 6 months and my skills improved lots,
after this i went and bought my salon and charged full prices (£35-£40),
i have had my salon now for 19 months and i have never looked back,
get your self out there Hayley, do what ever you have to do to get that experience behind you, it will do you and your skills the world of good,
good luck we all know you will be great :hug:​

 

[HayleySullivan]

thanks so much for the help.

that is what i have been worried about - it took my 4 hours the other night to do a set of acrylic and they still looked awful!!! it would be like toruture getting som1 to sit there for that long and there nails not be great!

But i have to start somewhere so if this is what you have done - i am sure i can do the same to get where i need to be.

was this working for yourself then at a hairdressers?

 

[gillian w]

Practice on anyone.I have done my husbands before to practice application, i just dont prep so they come off quickly.Nail trainers are good and your own hands.Even if you do one nail a day that will help you to get better and quicker.

 

[HayleySullivan]

thanks gillian x

 

[loubylou]

Yes i worked for myself at the hairdressers,
out of the £15 she took into consideration how much it cost me per set then we did a % split on the profit,
i also offered
manicures
pedicures
file & polish
to be honest i didn't make any money because as soon as there was any profit for me i spent it on building up my kit and stock but it works well doing it this way,
i didn't have much to buy when i got my salon, hth

 

[*Ang*]

I'm going to go straight out and start doing nails once I finish my foundation course. I think it's the only way to do it really and if you're honest with your clients from the start, as loubylou says, they will understand. That's a great sign to use to attract clients :hug:

 

[Rachellexx]

hi hayley, im in the same situation, i did pass my L&P foundation in august, but went straight back to uni and have been so busy with that i get hardly any time to practice! i feel my nails have been coming out reasonable but i do take around 3 hours- sometimes, longer! which can get really frustrating and slightly embarrasing at times. i charge £20 as i cant afford to keep using my products to practice for free, although everyone i do nails for understand i am still learning. i really want to do sometihink like Loubylou said she did just to get the practice and definately will next year some time once iv finished my degree. im also going to offer my services to salons for free, just so i can get some extra experience but dont have to use my own products! have you thought about doing somethink like this? xx

 

[liza2009]

Why dont you both meet up and do a set on each other xx

 

[Gilly T]

I have qualified in nail enhancements gel and acylic but do not feel good or confdent enough yet to charge and add this to my list of services. how do you get good enough?? i have a few friends i do nails for but not as many as i need to be getting enough expirience - but dont want to work on clients yet. or is this what you done?? worked on clients at a reduced rate maybe???

I know how you feel... I am started to get one or two extra clients just now but for toes mainly. Don't feel confident at doing enhancements on others as I feel I need more practical experience so I am hoping to be doing some 'experience' work in a salon on saturdays soon.

My educator at NSI suggested this to me. She said it would also give me the opportunity to put this on my CV and if I do well, I may get a reference from the salon owner to help in the future if wanted to get a job in one.

Why don't you try something like this... I know it's offering your time but the good thing about this is that you don't have to worry too much about timing and the salon will be prepared for it, that's if you can find someone who is prepared to let you do it for them.

just a suggestion...

 

[Gilly T]

Sorry.. just realised Rachellexx has suggested the same thing... great minds and all that

 

[Beckih84]

Hi,

I have not long started out and was worried about working on clients, i just went for it and it has been scary at times but i just did it and i am pleased as it has helped me with my confidence, i have started just charging £10 for a set... i know this is very low and basic but it means that i can get experience, cover my costs and i found that it takes alot of pressure off of me as i started charging £20 and it made my own expectations too high. when i have my experience and i feel confident i will raise my price and have made sure that all of my clients know that. also, i have found this site to bea lifesaver!!! i have had alot of great advice that has helped me no end!

Hope that helps

becki xx

 

[SelenaP]

hi, I qualified back in June & after nearly taking my fiance's natural nails off - much to his annoyance lol & some practice on a very nice young girl round the corner, who knew i was only new to it, i bought myself a nail trainer off ebay and practiced a lot, now i have a room at a salon, and can do 3d nail art, encased in gel all sorts - yet i can't even sort out my signature on this thing - typing with just 2 fingers lol

(check out the sam biddle site she's fantastic!) ebay is a great place to get all the products cheap until your ready to use the decent stuff for real, but my tutor told me to just get out there asap & just do it! it will get easier an you will get quicker an more confident!

good luck to you all

 

[SelenaP]

oh an p.s . . . i charge full price for nails! only when i want models i charge half price, which is not that often - only when i want some new photos done.

 

[*Ang*]

hi, I qualified back in June & after nearly taking my fiance's natural nails off - much to his annoyance lol & some practice on a very nice young girl round the corner, who knew i was only new to it, i bought myself a nail trainer off ebay and practiced a lot, now i have a room at a salon, and can do 3d nail art, encased in gel all sorts - yet i can't even sort out my signature on this thing - typing with just 2 fingers lol

(check out the sam biddle site she's fantastic!) ebay is a great place to get all the products cheap until your ready to use the decent stuff for real, but my tutor told me to just get out there asap & just do it! it will get easier an you will get quicker an more confident!

good luck to you all

I have to disagree strongly on that point - perhaps for a nail trainer, ebay would be fine but even then you could buy a duff one. Do you mean to buy your l&p from the bay? You have to be ready to use the decent stuff 'for real' right from the start IMO
There's a few threads on here with the focus on buying professional products from ebay and they all say the same thing - DON'T DO IT!

 

[HayleySullivan]

Thanks so much for all the replies - it has made me a lot more confident and I am just going to get out there and do it! The more practice i get the better i will become and the quicker i can charge full price and start getting some money back.

thanks x

 

[gillian w]

Definately practice with the products you are going to use.It may seem wasteful using your expensive l and p on a nail trainer but a big part of success is getting to know your product.

 

[RedAdmiral]

Definately practice with the products you are going to use.It may seem wasteful using your expensive l and p on a nail trainer but a big part of success is getting to know your product.

Absolutely. Trust me you will get quicker but you have to practice everyday even if you only practice blending tips.