laurakate
Well-Known Member
I've got a feeling this will be a bit of a long post so sit comfortably.
I was going to ask "does product training make you a better therapist?" but I didn't ask this because I suppose it does in the sense that it's always good/enjoyable to learn more things as it will extend your knowledge of what's out there in the industry and it will extend what you are able to do in terms of the treatments you offer. So yeah, I guess product training is very useful and it can give you an advantage when applying to a job that uses a product range that you are already trained in.
So having established that product training is a helpful thing to have, I want to ask "to what EXTENT does product training make you a better therapist?". For example, I like reading back issues of Scratch Magazine and even from issues as recent as 2007, I see product ranges that no longer exist and it makes me think "wouldn't it be really bad to get all trained up in something only for it to be discontinued at a later date".
Also, NVQs (etc) exist in order to provide learners with the most foundational knowledge of treatments including the theory relating to how to use products safely in terms of anatomy, product content etc etc etc whereas to my knowledge, the theory on product training courses is going to be biased to an extent in that it might contradict what other product houses who offer similar treatments are saying. (I'm not being cynical about product training here....I'm just saying that there is a difference between what you learn in a qualification VS information that relates to marketing).
So why I am posting this?.....
OK so basically I am pleased to say that I have a job in a spa and I love it. There is scope to do product training but understandably, there are limits to how much you can get done at any speed due to funding/availability/employers discretion etc. As a 24 year old who wants to do well in my first (career relevant) job and as a therapist in general, I am thinking of doing the product training under my own steam where possible (that is to say that this is not an option with all of the products houses at work but certainly some of them). My long term goal is to be a beauty therapy tutor and I want to get as much experience and expertees as possible in this respect.
It's not cheap to do product training in my own time paying for it with my own money but it's something I'm thinking of doing. In this respect, what I'm asking you good people of salon geek is: with my situation in mind, do you think it's worth me putting in fo product training myself in order that I can expand the variety of treatments I am able to do at work? Do you think that my employer will be pleased with this (rather than offended)? Do you think it will improve my chances of being a beauty therapy tutor in the future? (So for example, I currently don't do manicures or pedicures at work as I'm not trained in the products they use but if I were to do he product training myself then I would be able to add more variety to my day and more skills to my cv).
Told yas this was gonna be one loooooong post but I would really appreciate some feedback on this because its going round in my head far too much right now grr lol!
I was going to ask "does product training make you a better therapist?" but I didn't ask this because I suppose it does in the sense that it's always good/enjoyable to learn more things as it will extend your knowledge of what's out there in the industry and it will extend what you are able to do in terms of the treatments you offer. So yeah, I guess product training is very useful and it can give you an advantage when applying to a job that uses a product range that you are already trained in.
So having established that product training is a helpful thing to have, I want to ask "to what EXTENT does product training make you a better therapist?". For example, I like reading back issues of Scratch Magazine and even from issues as recent as 2007, I see product ranges that no longer exist and it makes me think "wouldn't it be really bad to get all trained up in something only for it to be discontinued at a later date".
Also, NVQs (etc) exist in order to provide learners with the most foundational knowledge of treatments including the theory relating to how to use products safely in terms of anatomy, product content etc etc etc whereas to my knowledge, the theory on product training courses is going to be biased to an extent in that it might contradict what other product houses who offer similar treatments are saying. (I'm not being cynical about product training here....I'm just saying that there is a difference between what you learn in a qualification VS information that relates to marketing).
So why I am posting this?.....
OK so basically I am pleased to say that I have a job in a spa and I love it. There is scope to do product training but understandably, there are limits to how much you can get done at any speed due to funding/availability/employers discretion etc. As a 24 year old who wants to do well in my first (career relevant) job and as a therapist in general, I am thinking of doing the product training under my own steam where possible (that is to say that this is not an option with all of the products houses at work but certainly some of them). My long term goal is to be a beauty therapy tutor and I want to get as much experience and expertees as possible in this respect.
It's not cheap to do product training in my own time paying for it with my own money but it's something I'm thinking of doing. In this respect, what I'm asking you good people of salon geek is: with my situation in mind, do you think it's worth me putting in fo product training myself in order that I can expand the variety of treatments I am able to do at work? Do you think that my employer will be pleased with this (rather than offended)? Do you think it will improve my chances of being a beauty therapy tutor in the future? (So for example, I currently don't do manicures or pedicures at work as I'm not trained in the products they use but if I were to do he product training myself then I would be able to add more variety to my day and more skills to my cv).
Told yas this was gonna be one loooooong post but I would really appreciate some feedback on this because its going round in my head far too much right now grr lol!