I give up, ageist industry!

[Silverclarity]

well I'm m giving up now. just finished the level 2 vrq. I thought I would be doing an NVQ. I previously gained a level 2 NVQ in barbering. I'm a mature person so need a paying job. I was shocked when I contacted a salon today to be told I would have to do an NVQ Level 2 as the vrq is not recognised by any salon. It's not practical for me to go back to college for another year and do the level 3 so I shall just give up and go back to my own profession. All of my assessments were done on clients as we were never told we could do them on the block. Very disappointed and annoyed as I was not informed I was doing a vrq until half way through the course. I was not told the difference between the two courses either so assumed both were industry standard. Already difficult for an older person I now feel I've wasted time energy and money. The only reason I did the ladies hairdressing was because after passing the barbering no one would give me a chance because I was older. I'm a very creative person and used to be a press photographer. I'm now a barber and a hairdresser but nobody will employ me because I'm older. What a sad screwed up world we live in. I have a wealth of knowledge and skills behind me but employers are so narrow minded and blinkered.

 

[CFBS]

There are plenty of people with vrq qualifications working in the industry very successfully.
Don't believe what that salon owner said - totally blinkered view and shows lack of knowledge.

Set up as self employed- rent a chair, mobile or work from home. You won't regret it.
If you need some money coming in then just get any part time job while you build your clients.

 

[Holly11]

Agree with cfbs xx

 

[HairbyTor]

I'm 28 and I have just completed my qualification in hairdressing level 2 (city and guilds diploma) I am going straight to mobile as I need the flexibility around my home life.

If you are confident then go for it! Set up a page on Facebook, invite all your friends, ask them to share the page/invite people.

I posted asking for models for free services to build a portfolio and asked them to review the page. I completed 10 and all 10 have booked in as paying clients.

You can do this!

 

[Minkeybox]

Im beauty not hair but fell into the trap of doing a vrq instead of an nvq as the college were less than honest about the qualification...

I just call it a City & Guilds Level 2 as they are the awarding body & their logo is plastered over the certs, no ones ever questioned it! Beauty salons usually ask for an nvq or equivalent, is it not the same in hair? Xx

 

[RED STAR]

There are a vast array of salons out there, all looking to attract a certain demographic.
I am a mature salon owner....with the majority of my clientele made up of clients within the age range of 45 - 65.
I do have younger client's....and older, with my eldest client having her weekly blow dry at 98!
My point is, one size does not fit all!

A more mature stylist is my preference, as I feel they will have more in common with the age range we mostly serve.

If I was out there looking for a job, I would approach the classic, traditional type salon, and avoid the
Trendy Wendy/Hipster/ Uber Cool!

You need to find a good fit!

If you are looking to be employed, you will be expected to perform a trade test, so they can assess your skills on your practical performance.

If they like you, and feel you'd suit their business, they would up skill you if they felt there were any weaknesses in your training.

The main attributes I look for are;

Good presentation
A Passion for the industry
A 'can do' attitude.
A willingness to work as part of a team
Eager to learn more!

Good luck.

 

[Aris]

well I'm m giving up now. just finished the level 2 vrq. I thought I would be doing an NVQ. I previously gained a level 2 NVQ in barbering. I'm a mature person so need a paying job. I was shocked when I contacted a salon today to be told I would have to do an NVQ Level 2 as the vrq is not recognised by any salon. It's not practical for me to go back to college for another year and do the level 3 so I shall just give up and go back to my own profession. All of my assessments were done on clients as we were never told we could do them on the block. Very disappointed and annoyed as I was not informed I was doing a vrq until half way through the course. I was not told the difference between the two courses either so assumed both were industry standard. Already difficult for an older person I now feel I've wasted time energy and money. The only reason I did the ladies hairdressing was because after passing the barbering no one would give me a chance because I was older. I'm a very creative person and used to be a press photographer. I'm now a barber and a hairdresser but nobody will employ me because I'm older. What a sad screwed up world we live in. I have a wealth of knowledge and skills behind me but employers are so narrow minded and blinkered.

I live in US so I don't know your licensing schemes. However, based on what you said, I see two different problems:
First, your school may have defrauded you and breached its contract. Gather together all advertising brochures, program materials, tuition agreements and receipts, and course descriptions. If you have any evidence that shows you were supposed to receive a NVQ, then you may want to consult with a solicitor or a free legal services group to negotiate a refund or force the school to offer you what it promised, in addition to any other damages permitted by UK law. You will also need to confirm exactly what the differences are between the VRQ and NVQ with the relevant government agency that handles licensing. I discovered that the National Careers Service offers advice about qualification levels. If you’re in England, ring the following number: Telephone: 0800 100 900 Monday to Sunday, 8am to 10pm
The web site also lists numbers outside of England.
https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean

Second, the government can also tell you whether or not the salon was lying about requiring a NVQ. If the VRQ would be ok, then you should find the government entity that processes claims for age discrimination. In the US, there are state and federal laws that force discriminatory employers to pay up. You may be even use the evidence supplied by the National Careers Service or licensing agency to help prove your case against the salon.

Also, the National Careers Service may be able to help you find a job. Create a portfolio to showcase your skills. Recruit friends and family as subjects. Keep a positive outlook and don't ever give up. There are plenty of people who switch careers later in life and manage just fine. Once you get established, customers will assume you have even more experience which will make it easier to charge higher prices after you master certain techniques. Good luck!

 

[MabelBaby]

Hello OP

What have you done to get a job, and how did they say no?

 

[Silverclarity]

Thank you, that's very helpful.

There are a vast array of salons out there, all looking to attract a certain demographic.
I am a mature salon owner....with the majority of my clientele made up of clients within the age range of 45 - 65.
I do have younger client's....and older, with my eldest client having her weekly blow dry at 98!
My point is, one size does not fit all!

A more mature stylist is my preference, as I feel they will have more in common with the age range we mostly serve.

If I was out there looking for a job, I would approach the classic, traditional type salon, and avoid the
Trendy Wendy/Hipster/ Uber Cool!

You need to find a good fit!

If you are looking to be employed, you will be expected to perform a trade test, so they can assess your skills on your practical performance.

If they like you, and feel you'd suit their business, they would up skill you if they felt there were any weaknesses in your training.

The main attributes I look for are;

Good presentation
A Passion for the industry
A 'can do' attitude.
A willingness to work as part of a team
Eager to learn more!

Good luck.

 

[James294323]

In the UK you technically don't need to be qualified to be a hairdresser. Its just a piece of paper. Forget that and blow them away will your skill, if you have done the training and can do the job that's all that matters. Good luck!

 

[Reidebot]

you can definitely go mobile. There are a lot of dilly dallies out there but don't give up just because one person said one thing.