Poll/Express yourself in Professional Nails mag

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Kathryn

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Calling all Geeks and Geekettes...

Mr Geek has given me kind permission to use his site for what I hope will be a monthly forum. I am trying to put together a regular column of views and opinions from technicians for the new look Professional Nails mag.

Each month I intend to post a question on the board and I hope that as many of you as possible will respond so that I can publish your answers in the magazine.

This month I wanted to hear your views on training. It confuses many a newbie, so I'd love to hear your views on what you feel is the best way to train. You might think colleges are pants, product houses fantastic or short courses a waste of money - whatever your view, please post me a reply either on the board or privately.

Please also add your full name, name of your business and location and I will duly credit your comments in the mag.

I know many of you have seen PN as a poor relation to Professional Beauty in the past, but I am hoping that this forum will be one way of making sure the new standalone mag carries the opinions of those who matter - you guys.

Phew - that was a long one...

I'm off for some dinner!

Look forward to hearing from you...

Kat Hanks

Professional Nails
 
Hi kat, I have always subscribed to profesional beauty and enjoyed the nail mag better than the beauty but then that may be because I`m enjoying nails more than I do a lot of beauty treatments.
As for the training,
I have had college training, in-house training and short course training too, and I feel cheated out of my money on all of it until I went in-house with Creative. The training is 1st class as with the products and I for one won`t be looking anywhere else for training now I`ve found them.
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Nails by Debbie
Basildon
 
hi kat the training that i received left me feeling as though i had well and truly been ripped off! (£500 to be precise! the course didn't go into enough detail about sanitation, rebalancing (i know some training centers do a separate course on this but mine didn't, so i don't know how they thought you where going to fulfill the role of a nail technician !) and the products that where sold to you and used during the training left a lot to be desired. i had to basically go away and teach myself, i have bought books and video's (essentail nails and the untouchables to name but a few ) read magazine articles and asked proffesionals for their guidance (and i still do which is very much appreciated ! you know who you are guys!! :thumbsup: ) i think it is very sad that someone can be given a certificate saying they are a nail tech therefore obtain insurance when the inadequate training that they may have received will make them nothing of the sort! you could very easily go away and cause some serious damage! i was well aware that i didn't have the skills to make me a good technician therefore waited until i felt confident that i was competent in what i was doing before carrying out any treatments.now i'm always looking to improve my training and knowledge as the nail industry is ever changing. even the best trained techs will have questions to start with but i do think there should be tighter guidelines on training and what it should entail nickki jones Nails By Nicola Bordon Hampshire
 
Hi Kat

I trained at college and I feel I was one of the lucky ones when I hear fellow nail techs on the boards discussing their training at college, personally I couldn't afford to fork out over £500 on a course lasting 3/4 days approx in the hope that this would definately be for me, a lot of money to spend if you decide you don't like doing it, can't pick it up the way you thought etc etc. I was trained at college by someone who trains NSI, couldn't believe my luck, I could have paid over £500 for her to train me in-house!! I do feel that 3/4 day courses is definatley not enough to say that's you here's a certificate, your qualified. We didn't cover rebalance, infillls, troubleshooting in depth, due to lack of course time and have been told this is the same at some trainning houses/centres. I had a rep out recently from Creative to show me their product and she explained that their training is 12 days, I was surprised, this is a much better training period and you are getting a more for your money! I think if you do your initial training at these training centres then they should also cover infills, rebalance, electric file use etc and not charge you extra, I know their there to make money but these future nail techs are using their products and won't be giving them a good name if they are not trained in the entire aspect of carrying out a service, a client doesn't just want a perfect first set but great maintenance as well, it's a package and that's the way training should be as well, a complete package. Colleges need to offer more on maintenance side as well. I was surprised and the model I used to take with me to college that all the students in my class passed, and it's only now when I hear some horror stories that I look back and think well no wonder when I see the standard of work created in my class. I personally think you can either do this or you can't, I recently had someone say to me I've just started a 3 day training course and putting tips on are a dawdle, easy money. How wrong I think that attitude is and boy I thought once you get out there and see all the different nail shapes, problems etc then you'll see it's not just a case of sticking tips on!

I also subscribe to Professional Beauty but only to get the nail mag! so great to hear that in future I will be able to subscribe to that only.

My god really sorry for yabbling on but I feel so strongly about this subject, as you can see.

Jenny Laurie
Bliss Nails by Jenny
Johnstone, Nr Glasgow Airport


Kathryn said:
Calling all Geeks and Geekettes...

Mr Geek has given me kind permission to use his site for what I hope will be a monthly forum. I am trying to put together a regular column of views and opinions from technicians for the new look Professional Nails mag.

Each month I intend to post a question on the board and I hope that as many of you as possible will respond so that I can publish your answers in the magazine.

This month I wanted to hear your views on training. It confuses many a newbie, so I'd love to hear your views on what you feel is the best way to train. You might think colleges are pants, product houses fantastic or short courses a waste of money - whatever your view, please post me a reply either on the board or privately.

Please also add your full name, name of your business and location and I will duly credit your comments in the mag.

I know many of you have seen PN as a poor relation to Professional Beauty in the past, but I am hoping that this forum will be one way of making sure the new standalone mag carries the opinions of those who matter - you guys.

Phew - that was a long one...

I'm off for some dinner!

Look forward to hearing from you...

Kat Hanks

Professional Nails
 
Well this is the proverbial can of worms.............
There you have Product Company inhouse training v's College training V's independent Technician training..........................

It's a mine field for Technicians to choose which route to go.........

Now if they go Product Company inhouse Training, they have to make sure that the inhouse trainers are trained to train..............
You are there, at the mercy of the Company's promise to train you to an exeptable standard, with their products...........

If you choose to take that route, you have to make sure that the Company will actually deliver the goods so to speak..................
Now Creative love it or hate it does this....................
Their Trainers, Ambassadors have to fullfill all their criteria not just bang on a nail and get your certificate when you leave the building..........
And it takes more then just nail skill to get that far with creative........

College Training..............
Here we have a different scenario yet again...........
The results speak for themselves I feel............
Unhappy Techs, that feel they have been let down................
They have put their faith in the term COLLEGE...............
Expecting to be taught by the best there is with the best products available...............
Is that true................ Well reading all the post on this site, NO...........
They all feel, after spending time and money at the College, that their skills are lacking and then choose the inhouse Training route.............

And the last Scenario is the independent Nail Tutor..............
Here you are at the mercy of the person themselvs.........
You can't be sure, what you are getting there for your hard earned cash....
Who regulates them ......... No ONE....................
Who checks out that they have had sufficiant training themselvs to teach to a good acceptable standard.............NO ONE..........
Your at their mercy.................

I trained over 10 years ago and was so lucky...........
When I started there where no College Classes for Nail Technology......
No talk of NVQ level 3 19 for nails.............
I received training form a Company that took pride in teaching, pride in appearance and pride in the Industry...............
But even I found that wasn't enough.........
As the Industry changes all the time, so does the Technology and the application skill....So there is always something new to learn and to brush up on............
That I feel is soley down to the Technician...................

So I feel the route I would take if I was to start out again would be............
Choosing a Company that delivers the goods in education terms..........
Then, if and when NVQ is enforced, get College assessment, present all my skills, Portfolio and be tried and tested....................

But this is just my humble opinion
and I am sure there are plenty of people out there that would disagree.....
But speaking as on oldie in nails............In my day.......... there wasn't much choice and you had to rely upon the integrity of the person that trained you...................
And as I said I was one of the lucky ones...........

Ruth Fordham
www.nailsinlondon.com
London UK
 
I have only attended Product Company training, and have to say the variation between the standard is as far as John O Groats to Lands End!!

The first one I attended (a supposedly reputable one - always advertised in the Trade mags aswell as the odd shopping channel!) was a 1 day course to learn the f/g system. The so called educator then came back about 2 months later for 1/2 a day to check my work. Now forgive me for thinking :shock: , but a 1 day 1-1 is just in no way enough (unless you are of superhuman powers) for you to learn sanitation; preparation; application; finishing; contra-indications; problem nails;oh and rebalancing!! I was given a load of photocopied sheets and told to make sure I read them!!

You might ask why I chose this particular course, well I like many other nail tek hopefuls really didn't understand how much was involved - a good deal of Beauty salons use this Company's products and therefore I thought they would be good enough for me.

However, my training totally turned round in 2001 when I signed up for a Conversion course with Designer Nails (Creative), closely followed with Master Classes and finally the Master Qualification Day.

I have learnt and continue to learn so much through CND, and have recommended them to so many wannabe teks. I don't think I will ever consider my training complete as the industry is constantly evolving and therefore updating my skills every year is a necessity, allbeit an enjoyable one ;) .

As for College training, the impression I have got from reading other teks postings is that again it varies so much. Sometimes you're lucky and actually get a fully trained and practising nail tek; other times you end up with a teaching Beauty Therapist who has done her training in nails but doesn't actually specialise in it and still comes out with classics like 'mold on the nail' or 'acrylic extensions' instead of a 'bacterial infection' or 'Liquid and Powder extensions' :shock: . Another bummer seems to be the lack of funds spent on the products available.

Ahh, the independent Nail Tutor.........isn't that me, you and every other tom, dick and NSS! Why, let's face it, I've done my training and more essential than that...........I have my computer, perfect for me to print out my fantastic certificates!

Maybe I'm being a bit unfair and there probably are some excellent independent trainers out there........all I'm saying is beware and check them out, but then at the end of the day that goes with any training a prospective nail tek decides to take!!

Whatever mode of training a wannabe tek decides, they will have to realise that they will have to put their back into it, read, read, read and practise, practise, practise. This is by no means an easy profession and if they're not prepared for hard work, they will just be left by the wayside.

Crikey, sorry for the epic.......hopefully there's something useable in there!

Adele Cutler
Creative Master Nail Technician
Peppercorn Nails
Ipswich, Suffolk
 
I feel very strongly about this subject too!

My first training was at a London academy and it was terrible. I had seen lots of ads for this academy and forked out £400 for a 3 day course - manicure and pedicure on 1 day, fibreglass, acrylic and gel extensions on the next day, nail art on the 3rd day. How can anyone learn 3 artificial nail systems in 6 hours? - Not me!

We did no fibreglass nails - just watched a 20 minute demo, then did 2 acrylic tip and overlay nails, and 1 acrylic sculptured nail. Then 1 tip and gel overlay nail. The acrylic nails I did fell off the model within 1 hour as the mix was so dry and crumbly. The trainer said they were great and I got a certificate 'advanced nail technician'. I went home and cried. I had no experience at all in nails before this course and the trainer thought we were all ready to go out and charge clients!

It makes me angry that this London academy is taking money off people and promising excellent training when it clearly is just a money spinner and they were not at all interested in the problems I had with the products afterwards. More worrying is that people are qualified and working as an 'advanced nail technician' on this level of training and experience.

I have spent a lot of money since then on good training with product companies and opened a nail and tanning salon in March. Business is good and I'm confident and proud of my work!
 
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