Trainee job in a salon...advice please

[PinkGem]

Hi all.

I went for an interview at the start of the week for a trainee position at a local salon, I had great feedback, all positive. Later that day I had a call saying how I impressed them with my the set of acylics I had done,considering i am still finishing my course. They offered me the position. I started today, 9.30-5.30, mainly shadowing the nail techs, I did prep and tips on some clients. I will be preping and tipping mainly untill I am confident enough to do the over lay and upto her standard.
Then the owner said I would be on a trainee rate of £16 per day thats £64 per week. My wage will go up after I start gaining experience and finish the course etc and then commision will be gained. I will work 4 days a week and maybe some days 9.30-8pm!!!!

I am 24 this month,not a school leaver, I have a mortgage and bills to pay, I have nearly finished my course and yet I am getting 16 quid a day!! Although Im not an apprentice and yes i am a trainee but i fundedmy own course which is not at college.

Hope all of this makes sense?? Is this all correct?

I love doing nails and i love the salon and staff but surely i can be paid minimum wage!!!

Thanks all x


2nd post

I havent had time today to speak to the owner as its so so busy, I have done half a day and just tried to call to try and speak with her. They have said that we will "start again" and they want me in next monday!! I said I can do half a day tomorrow and all day thurs fri and sat but shes told me next monday!!!!

What is going on and what shall I do? I want to work in a salon and gain experience but I dont want to be messed about. Now I have issues with the pay, if they really want me etc...


TODAY

The salon manager called me today, i didnt answer!! All she said was have i sent my assesment away and to keep practising on my trainer, see you monday?? I am confused.....

 

[Exquisite Touch]

mmm thats a bit low babe
i would have said min £30 a day specially at your age an apprentice gets 95 a week.

 

[champagne]

Trainee rate = £16.00 per day .... where did she get that figure from???

An 18 yr old apprentice gets £80.00.....Would have thought mim wage would apply here....

Hmm not sure about that one...

 

[PinkGem]

Thanks Deb and champagne, I thought it was very low and my partner nearly had a fit. I think I had better sit down with the owner and explain my concerns!! Not sure how to approach this though? Any ideas on how to explain things to her?

 

[fifitrix]

£16 a day? Oh dear that seems very low. Salon experience is brilliant and will set you up in many ways but surely that figure can't be right, I would have tthought at least the minimum wage per hour would be appropriate.

 

[Flowerbyrne]

my advice take the job, learn all you can quickly and look for a better paying one.

 

[spakitten]

Experience is worth much more than money. I was being paid **** when I first started out (it was a dollar over mininum wage tho - I live in Canada). But I don't think it makes a diference, my advice would be to gain as much experience as you can. Do as many sets as you can, gain confidence conversing with clients, work on your speed and timing, THEN look for a high paying job since you will have the experience and skills to back you up. Also, try and get them to teach you some nail art/air brush techniques if you can

 

[jacqui]

I think it's great that you have found a position in a salon, well done...

I think the wage is a bit low but my advise is to sit down and work out if you can survive on this wage, paying your morg etc.
Even if you could only do it for a few months, it's better than nothing to gain the experience of working in the salon enviroment.

Then I would explain this to the salon owner, saying that I would love to be able to stay at the salon indefinately but due to morg payments etc I would only be able to stay for x amount of months, if that was ok with her.

Hope everything works out for you:hug:

 

[Exquisite Touch]

I pay my trainee 6 quid for every set of nails she does, as we promote her at half price and she gets 40%, she is fully qualified in beauty but training in nails she has shown her determination to perfect her nail techniques once she is competant she will get £12 for every set of nails which i think is fair to her and me. I cant expect her to work her heart out for nowt. She works her heart out every single day without question and I've only been open four months and her book is nearly full as the ladies love her to bits. She is part of my team and is loyal and hardworking.

Is the salon a busy salon?
hope things work out for you babe x

 

[ris]

Experience is great as long as it's not gained in a sweat-shop. The other thing that you will need, both for the job and in life, is your self-esteem, energy and desire to continue.. Think about that..
At the moment your state of mind seems a bit low.. You just have to see that you get your fair share - nothing more.

Experience is worth much more than money... Do as many sets as you can, gain confidence conversing with clients, work on your speed and timing..

She won't be doing any sets yet.

Also, try and get them to teach you some nail art/air brush techniques if you can

If they can do it themselves.

 

[bevos]

The wage is low and times are hard. However, ive just finished my creative training in l&p. I intend to do mobile or at my house, but in the meantime, i am on the lookout for the position similar to yours. I was even going to contact salons in my area for me to help out almost like a saturday girl in a hair salon, but i do not expect a salary. I feel experience is worth so much more and if you can survive on what they have offered you, take it. The big wide world of nails is still a little too big for me to take on at present, and any experience i can get is an fab! :lol:

 

[Kamsi]

Hello! Fantastic that you got a trainee position, congratulations from what I gather on the site its not easy to get!
Can you get any advice from SalonGeek Lawyer? Maybe PM her for advice.
I would think the salon owner would like to be legally compliant and pay at least the minimum wage?
Best of luck

 

[ris]

and if you can survive on what they have offered you, take it.

Hi, bevos!
Where do you actually come from?
(I mean, originally.)


The reason I ask is because survival standards is a vague concept. She has a mortgage to pay (she has written about it) and she will actually be earning money for the salon. And she has payed for her education. They (the salon) haven't invested anything into her!

 

[PinkGem]

Thanks for all of your replys. Whilst I appreciate I have actually been offered a trainee position and that I am gaining valuable experience I feel that what they are doing is wrong!

Its not all about the money but I have to pay my bills and they know that. Ilive in a small village and the salon is in a small town where jobs, especially this one, are so hard to come by so I can not simply look for a higher paid position and I wouldnt like to leave this one any way.

I have just phoned the NMW helpline and they have said I should be getting NMW per hour!! I am not an apprentice, not a schoolleaver, funded the course myself and will fund future courses.

I am not in a low state of mind, I am a positive, motivated and hardworking individual who is being taken for a ride!!

 

[bevos]

Hi Ris, Im from the South West in the UK. I didnt mean to offend,:cry: i did put in my original message that times are hard and it is a low salary what they offered. I have a daughter and a mortgage and my husband works all the hours. I saved for ages to do my nail course and have paid for everything myself, Creative is expensive, but there is no other nail products that come close. I passed my training course last week and my mom and nail trainer only give me so much experience. I would love the opportunity to gain further experience in a salon but nowhere here does it! When i first saw your message i originally thought u were asking where i lived to offer me a position! lol:lol:
Like other girls who messaged, i just think try and get by for a few months and gain as much knowledge as you can.

 

[anna592]

im talking from experience here....i used to work in a salon as a trainee, and my wages NEVER went up, despite min wage rising each year.

a few have said to go for the job, as experience is more valuable than money....i would agree, but also disagree.

i ended up hating doing nails as i felt i wasnt appreciated. i hated going into work everyday. lost interest in the thing that i loved going to work for everyday and at the start i used to feel proud wearing my uniform, but again i got to a point where i used to hate wearing that everyday.

it took me a while to get back to loving doing nails, and your work will suffer when you stop loving it.

even as a trainee, you are worth more than that. you are a convienience as you will be the one repairing all the odd broken nails for customers between appointments. no doubt you'll be the one making all the coffees, tidying up, possibly answering the phone and making calls.

minimum wage office will not do anything unless you speak to the owner. if she refuses, then they can step in (this is what i was told when i tried to complain)

i may be wrong here, but i dont even think nails is part of the apprenticeship scheme.

sorry i dont mean to sound so harsh, but you have so much love and enthusiasm for nails, and it is hard work when your learning. i would just hate to see that disappear.xx

 

[Jolicatellas]

I do agree with your statement "I am not in a low state of mind, I am a positive, motivated and hardworking individual who is being taken for a ride!!" 16 a day seems incredibly low.

My first thought was: isn't this something you talk about and negotiate during the interview or at least at the time they offer you the position?? You don't even know how long you will be expected to be on this rate.

You can only express your concerns and see if she is willing to negotiate. In the mean time work out what price you will accept as a minimum & work out if/when pay rises will occur. Also think about this: is 16 better than nothing... if it turns out that this is the only price on offer or the only prospect you have.

Gook luck, I hope it all works out for you b/c aside from the pay rate it is quite exciting :green:

 

[ADiva1]

The best thing to do is to speak to the person - the Manager or whosoever offered you the job and £16 per day. Tell how you feel about being offered £16. Let her know that you want to work for them, but not for £16. At least £6 per hour should be offered to you. You never know, she might change her mind. No point winding yourself up about the matter when you can talk to her about how you feel!:lol::hug:

 

[ris]

Hi Ris, Im from the South West in the UK. I didnt mean to offend,:cry: ...

Dear, I am sorry I sounded so harsh!
I just h a t e seeing people ‘being taken for a ride’ as PinkGem put it. Hence my overreaction - from where I come from there are far too many who, as we say, want ‘to come to paradise riding on someone else’s back‘. ))
Good luck to you!

im talking from experience here....i used to work in a salon as a trainee, and my wages NEVER went up, despite min wage rising each year.

a few have said to go for the job, as experience is more valuable than money....i would agree, but also disagree.

i ended up hating doing nails as i felt i wasnt appreciated. i hated going into work everyday. lost interest in the thing that i loved going to work for everyday and at the start i used to feel proud wearing my uniform, but again i got to a point where i used to hate wearing that everyday.

E X A C T L Y! I support every single word. Unfortunately, it happened to me, too. In a different field, though. I still haven’t overcome it… :cry: So I DO know how important it is to keep the spirits up and not let anyone discourage you by using and abusing you and giving next to nothing in return.

 

[sknight]

Hi all.

I went for an interview at the start of the week for a trainee position at a local salon, I had great feedback, all positive. Later that day I had a call saying how I impressed them with my the set of acylics I had done,considering i am still finishing my course. They offered me the position. I started today, 9.30-5.30, mainly shadowing the nail techs, I did prep and tips on some clients. I will be preping and tipping mainly untill I am confident enough to do the over lay and upto her standard.
Then the owner said I would be on a trainee rate of £16 per day thats £64 per week. My wage will go up after I start gaining experience and finish the course etc and then commision will be gained. I will work 4 days a week and maybe some days 9.30-8pm!!!!

I am 24 this month,not a school leaver, I have a mortgage and bills to pay, I have nearly finished my course and yet I am getting 16 quid a day!! Although Im not an apprentice and yes i am a trainee but i fundedmy own course which is not at college.

Hope all of this makes sense?? Is this all correct?

I love doing nails and i love the salon and staff but surely i can be paid minimum wage!!!

Thanks all x

I certainly would not work anywhere that pays £2 an hour. And if its the same pay for the long shift then thats about £1.50 isn't it? I think you should speak to her and tell her she is not meeting minimum wage. I know it's experience but to me it's taking the p!ss