sometimes i wonder if i want to be a beauty therapist

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millytada

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Aug 17, 2007
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sometimes i wonder if i want to be a beauty therapist im learning an nvq now through an apprenticeship but i keep getting people saying its low pay long hours and not worth it so i was wondering if you culd tell me your experiences? Do you get higher oay as a mobile beauty therapist?thanks for your input!
 
Well I suppose there will always be other ways to make better/more money than as a therapist, but it depends if you also count job satisfaction into the equation.

Personally I am just so happy to be working in this industry after dreaming about it for 20 years that people could pay me peanuts for all I care!!:lol: Although I don't think my bank manager would be too pleased with me.:rolleyes:

What direction do you want your career to go? You can be mobile, work in a salon, own a salon, work abroad, on cruise ships, become an educator....the opportunities are endless and I think we can make of it what we will.
 
I agree with Debs, I have had very well paid but high stress jobs in the past but I would never go back to that, I love what I do now even if sometimes I have a quiet week. Yea the pay in salons is sometimes rubbish, yes it is blooming hard work being self employed getting clients in etc, but I think its worth it.:hug:
 
It's the best job in the world and working for yourself, as far as pay is concerned, the sky's the limit! It's how you use your qualification that counts and money, as others have said, is not the path to happiness :hug:

Who told you it's not worth it? x
 
ive always liked the idea of being a beauty therapist but iv got older students in my class saying because im young i should get out and do better things but i think yous are right the job satisfaction would be really good. theyv also told me horror stories about salons just saying they are rubbish to work in so i want to become a mobile therapist when i qualify but i dont know if 20 is too young??and if it would cost me alot and all the worry of not finding clients - stress lol
 
DONT listen to anyone else sweetheart!!:)
Get the qualifications,then see how you feel! You are young so you can really try all senarios ie, salon work, mobile, renting a room, and then see which one you are happy with. You may find that you dont want to be tied to beauty full time,well thats not a problem. you can have a full time job doing something else and just fit in a bit of beauty now and then as more of a hobby for friends and family.
We are all totally unique and have different ideas about what we want to achieve so my advice is dont worry about the bigger picture just yet. Enjoy the course, reap the experience and get your qualifications! Then the world is YOUR oyster hunny.:hug::hug:
 
you have to decide if its what you want to do! then you start at the bottom and work up, i qualified in 2004 and cos i enjoyed it and worked hard i now have my own small, sucessfull salon.Be friendly and hard working and your clients will follow you, anything is possible......good luck, liz xxxx:hug:
 
awww ur all so lovely!thank you xxxxx
 
Sounds very odd that they are training to do beauty but are so jaded about the career choice they have made before they have even started. They're probably jealous that they didn't decide to do it earlier. If you enjoy it, do it, if not find something else you love. Either way follow your heart! :hug:
 
Ok here's what I think. I could be earning a heck of a lot more than I am, if I was to go back to my previous job. The only thing is that I hated my previous job, and I love what I'm doing now. So to me, the satisfaction in what I do as a beauty therapist has far more value than earning a massive salary.
Beauty therapy is not and probably never will be one of the higher paid jobs, but you know what? I don't care. I'm happy doing it and that to me is a lot more important.
 
It's all about what you enjoy. I trained in nails 5 years ago but did it as an interesting evening course when I got a bit fed up with life. I qualified and started doing a few bits in the evenings and weekends, then changed my "proper" job.

This afternoon I told the Managing Director I want to go part time and I'm going to go part time with my nails. Not sure how it's going to go, but I don't feel like I'm going anywhere with my office job so why not? I've given myself until Christmas then I either stop the nails or quit the office. I couldn't work in a salon but I'm enjoying being mobile although I'm very lucky my clients are all friends of friends so it's a little like going for a cup of tea instead of work!

My advice - Finish your training (I think that includes some work in salons, doesn't it?) See how you feel about your work experience. Get in touch with a mobile tech and ask to shadow her for a few days, see what you think of that. If you're still not sure try an office job or bar work or something else for 6 months and think it over again. What's right for you now might not be right in a year or 10 but it's always handy to have a practical skill and qualification to fall back on.
 
EVERYTHING in the whole wide world is about money. Thats why we work right? However, I believe in job satisfaction - it is where you spend most of your time, so you should be happy.

I've packed up my office job which paid twice as much as working in a salon. I've never been happier.

The girls are half my age, really professional and I love what I do, with no regrets.

Go for it, only you can make the decision whether you'd like it or not!:hug:
 
ive always liked the idea of being a beauty therapist but iv got older students in my class saying because im young i should get out and do better things but i think yous are right the job satisfaction would be really good. theyv also told me horror stories about salons just saying they are rubbish to work in so i want to become a mobile therapist when i qualify but i dont know if 20 is too young??and if it would cost me alot and all the worry of not finding clients - stress lol
When you qualify you could get a job on a cruise liner so you would travel and see the world while doing a job you love, how many people can say they got paid for travelling the world?!
I just want to also add that i have been working in salons for over 3 and a half years and it's not horrible at all, I wouldn't dream of doing anything else.
xx:hug:xx
 
When you qualify you could get a job on a cruise liner so you would travel and see the world while doing a job you love, how many people can say they got paid for travelling the world?!
I just want to also add that i have been working in salons for over 3 and a half years and it's not horrible at all, I wouldn't dream of doing anything else.
xx:hug:xx

Just want to agree with this and also say that I truly believe its best to get experience in salons before going mobile etc.

If you work for yourself you have to do all the hard work and get the clients in, I think lots of people think that if you stick a few adverts in the local rag you will be fully booked within weeks - wrong ! There are a few lucky ones that will get booked up very quickly but in my experince that rarely happens.
 
Just want to agree with this and also say that I truly believe its best to get experience in salons before going mobile etc.

If you work for yourself you have to do all the hard work and get the clients in, I think lots of people think that if you stick a few adverts in the local rag you will be fully booked within weeks - wrong ! There are a few lucky ones that will get booked up very quickly but in my experince that rarely happens.
I would agree 100% with Juliettes comment about gaining salon experience before setting out mobile.Once qualified it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that's it,you can do anything now...unfortunately it's not quite like that.Its more like when you first pass you driving test,yes you're qualified but you have a lot to learn.

Working in a salon helps you build up speed in waxing etc,gives you invaluable experience on dealing with issues that arise,gives you support,should things go wrong.Not to mention teaching you product knowledge.

Mobile isn't an easy option,its hard work carrying all the equipment to and from the car,setting up in a strangers house.Dont get me wrong some people love it..me I hate it I've tried it twice now and I hate the lugging around of the couch,sometimes having to park quite a long way from the clients house,then having to walk backwards and forwards with all my equipment.Also there's the initial cost of all the equipment which is absolutely necessary if you want to give a professional appearance.

Mobile pay is higher,as is having your own business,but you still have to pay for all your products your tax and insurance etc.

I love my job and I love working with people,Sadly our job isn't a well paid one,it does grate to think that I spent 3 years at college and get less than a cleaner with no training but it's job satisfaction as others have mentioned.:)
 
Although I don't work in a mobile environment, I do work in a salon. I've been an esthetician/nail tech for 8 years. I make a lot of money. I make enough that I own my own home, can afford to spoil my kids and take trips with my hunny when we want. Making a good pay is possible with a career in the beauty industry. However, it doesn't come easily... you have to work at it and build a clientel, and this takes time, it doesn't happen over night... but it's well worth it in the end.
 
i agree aswell i someties wonder if its what i want to do especially when you first start out and have no clients and you just feel a bit disheartend, but i think on it as a lifestyle choice, i could go back to being a estate agent and earn a sh1t load or i can stay doing what i love and enjoy my life but just comfortably no stay in a crap 9-5 job with the same boaring stuff everyday and be very well, i cose being happy with what i do. and i dont regret it.
 

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