Specialists needed?

[mum]

As usual, there are always loads of training threads and questions on here and some very interesting ones lately. Here is another issue that has occurred to me and other opinions would be interesting.

If I am learning something I would prefer to go to a specialist in that subject to learn from. That is because they would have a lot of experience in the skill/topic in order to have become a specialist. This doesn't necessarily make them good teachers (a different issue) but at least they have more knowledge than a 'jack of all trades'. A simple example of this is the difference between primary and secondary schools. Primary school classes usually have 1 teacher per class where they teach a wide range of general basic topics. When going up to secondary school teachers are generally teaching their own specialist subjects as they have a more in depth knowledge.

So, I think it follows that education in 'nails' is better if it is taught by a 'specialist'. To become a specialist takes time. Time spent learning and practising more. So it is OK to receive some basic training from a non specialist (e.g a beauty therapist) but by the time the more advanced skills are needed (e.g advanced natural nail care, enhancements, advanced nail art etc) the teacher should be an experienced (working with nails only for several years) technician and not someone whom is either new to the skills or only part time in 'nails'.

I, personally, would be willing to Invest time and money to be taught by a real specialist who is dedicated to their career. Do you think nail courses should be run by 'specialists' and not 'nail part timers'?

 

[laurakate]

Every tutor I have had for nails also taught beauty. I was appreciative of that though because they had the experience that made them a good all rounder.

I've never had a nail tutor who also taught/did beauty who couldn't do nails. I suppose it's interesting in that in industry, there are nail techs only and there are beauty therapists who do nails and there are nail techs who do beauty.

To be a tutor, I've heard that you typically need at least 5 year experience in industry and I would hope by then that a tutor has had a lot of opportunity to do nails.

In years to come, I think I would quite like to be a tutor and it is for this reason that I want to keep all of my skills up to scratch because I believe that being a good all rounder will be very constructive.

One beauty tutor I had springs to mind and she was fantastic because she taught electrical facials and massage but was excellent at teaching nails because she had worked for NSI for a while.

So as long as every skill is kept up to date with on the tutors part, I don't think that being a generalist would necessarily make them less of a nail tech specifically.

 

[Tomme]

I'm sure tutors are really educated, and maybe the best way to put it is they specialise in everything, that being they have done intensive training to know the in's and outs of all treatments.
One of my tutors completed her level 3 in 6 months when it was expected to take 2 years, she then did her teaching course and was a teacher by 25, she had won competitions in colouring, cutting, hair up and aventguard hair which really is an achievement at her age. So although she was trained as an all rounder in hairdressing she had a flair for other subjects that I feel made her a specialist. So maybe give an all rounder a chance xoxo

 

[mum]

I don't disagree with either of you but that is for an all-rounder. Some people specialise and Nail Services is a specialist area.

A BT who also does nails is fine to be taught by an all-rounder but those that choose to specialise should be taught by an 'specialist'. I (and a few others on here who I could name) bet that, if you gave me 10 technicians who had been taught by a mixture 'all-rounders' and nail specialists for 15mins I could pick out who was taught by whom.

There is a difference

 

[Miss Sylk]

Mum -Fab thread!!!

My nvq was shockingly taught! and my stone massage course, that was the worst! i spent more time at home studying which as advised my teacher! She was young inexprienced and had a teaching qualification as a result i am not confident in stone massage. Over the years some had experience but no skill to pass it on to others, some had teaching qualifications and not enough experience to teach us enough. Ive had very few tutors in my time who have had both the above, what is vital to teach others to go out there in the world and offer a good job. Even with a good tutor and qualification some students will always be better than others, thats where practice and ambition comes into it. As long as the steps to passing the course were done with the best tutor and assessing methods thats fine.

Due to my terrible tutors ive had over the years it took me so long to bring myself up to scratch after i completed my NVQ and i was 1 of the top 2 students in the class and i didnt feel ready to go get out in the world and work. More about salon experiences needs to be taught and troubleshooting seems to be just left for when you practice!?!
I found with my teaching practice ive done after the curriculum is followed have a chat about the real world, i could have benefited from this myself. I dont want to teach till i have gained a huge amount of experience.

Another thing, when wanted to better my nails it took me a fair amount of time to find tutors who could help me with a good rep and experience, so maybe a list and make it easier to find on here maybe?

It is possible to be great at everything and able to pass it on to others. In my experience that wasnt so with my NVQ tutors. :/

 

[Pinkprincess73]

I personally think specialist training is better, I did my acrylic course 1-2-1 with a very experienced educator who does this job day in day out, her wealth of knowledge was far superior to any college training in my area.

All too often girls on here are upset about their lack of confidence in nails when they finish college courses, I know there are obviously some fantastic college lecturers doing a great job out there but the sheer amount to be covered on these courses makes it hard to be fully competent in every area when you are trying to keep up with a whole class.
My good friend is finding this to be the case at the moment as all of her assessments are running one after the other with no time inbetween to master anything.

When I did my hairdressing training years ago (I know it may be different now) the lecturers were woefully out of touch with everything we were doing in our salons & I hate to think what kind of hairdresser I would have been if I had only gone to college & not worked in a salon.

As I say this is what I think & how I will progress in my nail training I'm sure some other people have had great college experiences with fantastic lecturers but for me it's specialists all the way. xx

 

[persianista]

I'm having a bit o a struggle with this thread.
I am sure that being taught by highly experienced and motivated industry pro's has gotta be the best, but how many of us get that opportunity?

I would like to add a surprising idea to this thread.

It's not about the training all the time. Sometimes it's about the person and their ability.

There, I said it. Start the flaming!!!

When you learnt to drive, was it the skill of your instructor? Or was it your own aptitude for driving? Were you a perfect expert driver the moment you passed your test? Or did you continue to improve?

Some people are just not good with their hands, and the best trainer in the world cannot change that.

 

[Miss Sylk]

I'm having a bit o a struggle with this thread.
I am sure that being taught by highly experienced and motivated industry pro's has gotta be the best, but how many of us get that opportunity?

I would like to add a surprising idea to this thread.

It's not about the training all the time. Sometimes it's about the person and their ability.

There, I said it. Start the flaming!!!

When you learnt to drive, was it the skill of your instructor? Or was it your own aptitude for driving? Were you a perfect expert driver the moment you passed your test? Or did you continue to improve?

Some people are just not good with their hands, and the best trainer in the world cannot change that.

I wrote an answer to that point. x

 

[mum]

I'm having a bit o a struggle with this thread.
I am sure that being taught by highly experienced and motivated industry pro's has gotta be the best, but how many of us get that opportunity?

I would like to add a surprising idea to this thread.

It's not about the training all the time. Sometimes it's about the person and their ability.

There, I said it. Start the flaming!!!

When you learnt to drive, was it the skill of your instructor? Or was it your own aptitude for driving? Were you a perfect expert driver the moment you passed your test? Or did you continue to improve?

Some people are just not good with their hands, and the best trainer in the world cannot change that.

Do you know Persianista, you are absolutely right! This is an aspect that I hadn't considered in this thread.

In the years when I did a lot of training I could see the successful technician within the first hour. I also consider myself to be a specialist and there were many who I just could NOT make a good technician whatever I did.

However, as I'm writing this I'm realising that there are so many that fall between these 2 extremes. In my experience, the beginner often asks the hardest questions that only an experienced technician can answer. Also, it is the specialist that can help those really wanting to perfect their techniques who will find the way to get there.

On another tack, I listened to a report on the radio about what has been discovered by the Hadron Collider scientists and thought "yep, I get that!". Then I tried to explain it to someone else! Not a clue!!

 

[Susie H]

I'm having a bit o a struggle with this thread.
I am sure that being taught by highly experienced and motivated industry pro's has gotta be the best, but how many of us get that opportunity?

I would like to add a surprising idea to this thread.

It's not about the training all the time. Sometimes it's about the person and their ability.

There, I said it. Start the flaming!!!

When you learnt to drive, was it the skill of your instructor? Or was it your own aptitude for driving? Were you a perfect expert driver the moment you passed your test? Or did you continue to improve?

Some people are just not good with their hands, and the best trainer in the world cannot change that.

So very very true Dawn, a few years ago nail zoo or zoo nails, I forget which way round it was posted a thread on that subject which made me rethink my own business future. I have trained with some of the best nail experts in this country and whilst I know what I produce is nothing to be ashamed of, I will never be as good or find it as easy to produce a set of nails that have that 'wow' punch.
Thankfully for my ego I have found other aspects of our industry come easily to me.
On to mums question I am fortunate enough to attend a college where my tutors although qualified in all aspects of the beauty industry are teaching the subjects that they specialise in and the result is very satisfying.
They have taken the attitude that if you want to study nail enhancements then you need to take a separate course to do so because it is such an intensive subject to learn and it's Anne Swain who teaches it.
I personally feel that any first time course should be viewed as a foundation course with a view of life long learning attached to it. All professional drivers have to take annual reviews that are split between class room and practical assessments, they have to, it's the law. Our industry operates under a voluntary code of practice which leads to a very large spread of expertise.
In short, it's down to the individuals passion to keep learning, keep striving to be the best that they can be. For me that means finding the best, most passionate people in our industry to teach me. Unfortunately most of those people can not be found in colleges, they are head hunted away from the colleges with offers of better pay, better working conditions and students who want to learn so badly that they are willing to sell everything they have to pay for a seat in that class room.
I don't blame those teachers, I have been horrified at the attitude of some of the students I have come across at my college. When those girls get into the work place they are in for a heck of a shock and then a long time on benefits.
Great thread Marian as always:hug:

 

[persianista]

I have trained many a junior over the years, and have come across a few with stiff, inflexible fingers, and who have goldfish memories. Show them, help them do it themselves, two seconds later they "forgot".

Teach them the "right" way to blow dry, and they do the opposite, saying "this is the way I do it", even though they are getting a poor result and risk doing untold damage to their backs/ wrists through incorrect posture!

I gave up teaching, way too frustrating

 

[Pinkprincess73]

Oh hadn't thought of that either I suppose some people are just not suited to hairdressing/ nails etc, I have heard teachers say you can sometimes tell early on those who won't "pick it up" not everyone is good with their hands however hard they try. xx

 

[persianista]

Oh hadn't thought of that either I suppose some people are just not suited to hairdressing/ nails etc, I have heard teachers say you can sometimes tell early on those who won't "pick it up" not everyone is good with their hands however hard they try. xx

They are possibly the ones who come on here and say "my trainer was rubbish" when in fact they should be saying "my thumbs don't work":lol: