should we work in salon?????

[sj1973]

hi ...i just wondered how many of us on here have worked in a salon? i passed my course and i work from home but always wondered if i should work in a salon....if i should,why? should we all pass and work in salon before we are let out to the public??!!!! just wondered my geeky buds what your thought,s on this are..
thanks xxxx

 

[Seductive]

Hi

After passing my course I worked for a lady every friday for free. I Looked at it as gaining experience.

I am so glad I did as for me everything was totally different to what i learnt learn at college.

I then went on to work for myself

Thanks

 

[sj1973]

Hi

After passing my course I worked for a lady every friday for free. I Looked at it as gaining experience.

I am so glad I did as for me everything was totally different to what i learnt learn at college.

I then went on to work for myself

Thanks

so what did you learn that you did not learn in college hun?see i dont know if i should work in salon to get more experience or not!!!!.....to me,i went on a course and got tought nail,s, so what is the difference between course...college and salon.....hope i make sence!!! xxx

 

[Bagpuss]

I think there is alot to be said for having salon experience.....however i understand that everyones circumstances are different.

I think what you did Seductive was brilliant...well done you.

After doing my training i went self employed mobile then into my own home salon....however i do have salon experiance from being an ex hairdressers, may have been years ago but i still have nightmares...:lol:

 

[loubylou]

If you go to work in a salon where there are other nail techs you will learn lots from them and they will be able to point you in the right direction when you get minor problems with your nails or even awkward clients,
there are lots you could learn from working in a salon that you wouldn't learn in college or a product class

 

[wg19]

If you go to work in a salon where there are other nail techs you will learn lots from them and they will be able to point you in the right direction when you get minor problems with your nails or even awkward clients,
there are lots you could learn from working in a salon that you wouldn't learn in college or a product class

Concur!!

 

[Merk]

hi ...i just wondered how many of us on here have worked in a salon? i passed my course and i work from home but always wondered if i should work in a salon....if i should,why? should we all pass and work in salon before we are let out to the public??!!!! just wondered my geeky buds what your thought,s on this are..
thanks xxxx

I know Anna worked in a salon for a bit and she said it wasn't so hee haw. From my personal experience in working for other people. I would rather work for myself. Sure there are alot more responsibilities but at the end of the day I feel I accomplished so much more, we are our own designers of fame or failure..not someone else. The sky is the limit when it comes to owning your own business, where working for someone else usually the ceiling is the limit for growth.

 

[Merk]

If you go to work in a salon where there are other nail techs you will learn lots from them and they will be able to point you in the right direction when you get minor problems with your nails or even awkward clients,
there are lots you could learn from working in a salon that you wouldn't learn in college or a product class

True that *props*. Though there is the flop side. You can learn some NASTY habits from other nail techs, the drama, and the fact you are working for someone else. I suppose the best thing to do IMHO (In my honest opinion) is to work in a salon until you gain some footing, learn the do's and don'ts. It's always good to see where others have succeeded and failed, learn from that and then venture out on your own. But I mean thats IMHO.

 

[NAIL FRENZY]

I think its a very good idea to gain some experience in a salon whether it is before or during your home based or mobile work. It gives so much experience not just on your practical work but also how it all runs, appointment systems, health & safety, handling difficult clients, how to say no to giving a refund! It taught me loads and one of the things was working under pressure, it was unbelievably busy at times and some clients just stand there huffing and puffing, tapping feet etc . Picking up good tips and vowing never to use the bad ones! I just worked on Saturdays but as that was the busiest day it worked well for me and my timing got better and better.

 

[BABSann]

I think working in a salon gives you invaluable experience,yes you may qualify in college but college and working in "the real world" are 2 very different things.

If you go straight out from college and work for yourself you have no backup if/when things go wrong,you have no support as such,it's hard to gain the experience as chances are gaining a full appointment book/clientelle will take a lot longer working for yourself than working for a salon who already has a big client base.HTH

 

[Tiger Jay]

Ditto Babs........

After doing my initial training, I went in to a salon. I hated it. However I stuck with it and learned many things.
How to deal with the general public.
How NOT to deal with the general public.
How to promote yourself as a technician.
Gaining experience with all types of problem nails.
Bringing timings up to scratch.
Building ones confidence, not just as a technician, but as a person too.

There are lots more things to learn as well as the above, but I feel that this makes a good start.

Once I felt I was confident enough to go alone, I then went on a business course, which I believe is just as important.

I've been mobile now for the last 4 years (having done nails for 6). I wouldn't do it any other way, but I must stress that there is no way on this earth that I would be able to achieve what I do now with out the aid of salon experience.
You never know you may enjoy salon work more, every one is different.

But it's a hands on job which needs hands on experience. HTH.

 

[iluvOPI]

i work in a salon and always have... it helped me alot because i always do the hairdressers nails that work there so when theyre clients notice them it gets me alot of business... not to mention i think people find it alot easier when they are able to get there hair and nails done all in one place.

 

[blossom]

After my training I worked for myself, first mobile, now mostly from home, barring a few disabled clients that I still visit. I have a successful business and absolutely ZERO salon experience.

Before I did nails, I worked in "customer service" related positions which I think has, without a doubt, assisted me in dealing with the public.

When I think back to when I started in the nail business, there were a few times when I had some little problems which, although I ironed them out in the end with further training and lots of reading up on nails, I could have probably ironed out sooner in a salon situation with some experienced nail techs to give me advice.

On the reverse side of the coin, I needed my job to fit in with my family and I work when my kids are at school and evenings, and there's no way a salon could offer that flexibility. From what I have heard, there can sometimes (unfortunately) be a bit of bitchiness and backstabbing going on in salons as well and I didn't have to cope with any of that whilst building up my business.

Also, on the plus side, although it may take a bit longer to build up your clientele when you work for yourself, (although not that long really if you spend a bit on marketing,) once gained, your clients belong to YOU, not the salon . . . ie if you want to leave the salon and go it alone at any point, you have to leave your clients behind as they belong to the salon and not you. Did I mention working for yourself being more profitable as well? Well, after the initial outlay anyway . . . I broke even in about 8 months and that included a lot of marketing.

So whilst I think that salon experience can be helpful and, depending on what type of person you are, desirable, it's by no means the only way. :hug: