When will a nail tech get respect?

[rachybaby]

I was at my sister in law's the other night and a friend of hers called in to see her.

This girl had a Chloe bag with her and was selling them(copies) I hadn't met her before and my sil introduced me and said 'Rachael has a lot of women clients that would probably love them.' She ask why, and sil says Rachael "does" nails. She goes ' awww do you do nails too? Like Lucy?' (sil jumped on bandwagon, did one day course when she saw what I was earning and has done one client since she did her "course" 2 years ago.

I have been a qualified (properly) and a working nail tech for eight years and in my opinion have been sucessful and am proud of my career. Why then do I get really defensive when a complete stranger comes out with some patronising comment like that?

I should be used to it by now!

I've also had...

So...you can earn a living from nails can you?

Awww your job is so cute.

 

[loubylou]

Oh hun you should have said NO not like lucy, I do them professionally and make a living from all the hard work and training that i have done, then she would have asked what the difference was and you could have explained it all to her :hug:

 

[talented talons]

It is a case of being confident in what you do and brushing any comments that this sort of person will say. A lot of it is said because a person doesn't really understand what it entails to do nails, and thinks it is just that.

If someone asks me what i have done, i then go into the fact i know the physiology, the chemistry and all the systems of enhancements. From tipping to sculpting and wraps. Then i will say that i also do nail art and specialise in 3D acrylic nail art. Usually by this point people are amazed there is so much to it. Which i then tell them i am currently working on my Masters and eventually doing my educators course as well. This normally shuts them up.

If at this point they are still a little patronising, then i just say i would love to see them produce better nails. ( i can't help being defensive when i know what i have done to get to where i am today.)

 

[rachybaby]

I really wanted to, but then I stopped myself thinking would I then insult my sil and come across as snooty to someone I just met?

After she went I asked sil what the girl did for a job and she said 'Sales' but she changes her job all the time. I did have a smug smile then though.

 

[Cec]

Hi,

I think we are all sick of such comments, but on the other side, I don't blame them. You don't need to be a "rocket scientist" (sp?) to work in the beauty-industry and there ARE more "babes" in our industry than in many others.

Everybody in my family have a PhD or a University degree and a lot of our friends are from the University (my husband has a PhD). My family was not very happy when I quitted at the University and started in the beauty-industry. Now they really respect me and my work because I have showed them I am hard-working and has a very good reputation. Because I very often follow my husband when he goes for conferences, I meet a lot of PhD's and proffessors. When I tell them what I do, I can see what they think. After I have told them WHAT I do, they become interested and I can see they respect me for what I do. I NEVER pretend to be "intellectual" because I am not and I don't want to be either. They take me for what I am (a "high-healed" shopaholic) and, to be honest, I think they like me because I am different from the other women in the field. Haha, in India I got one of the men to take half a day off just to go shopping with me!!! :-D

I "babble"... What I want to say is that it has taken me some time to get used to being "only a nailtech", but now, I don't care what other thinks about me. I know what I am and I know what I do and I know I do it good.

OK, enough for today.

C.

 

[talontastic]

I think as a nail tech we get comments like this quite alot. People say things like "i reckon I could do nails, you make it look so easy!"

Aaaagh!!! but it is not easy........ Lots of practice and experience makes it 'look easy!'

At the end of the day we are skilled and professional technicians with training and courses under our belts just like the accountants and university boffs. We just dont have letters after our names though to prove it.

Just my two penneth.

Julie xx

 

[Bagpuss]

well i may not be highly intelligent ...but then i did have the intelligence to leave my dull, boring and crappy office job and do something that i love....so i cant be that bad...


My old job was full of high flyer's who are supposed to be full of intelligence...Ha !!....all most could talk about was lip gloss and give a fake giggle when asked a straight question......:irked:

I didn't do this job because i was too thick to do anything else...crikes if that was the case i can think of many a job that employs thick people....I have had some very good jobs....but to be honest....neither is any harder or difficult than the other....its just different.

If I was to train in any field...and i mean train hard...i could do anything.....and so could most people. This isn't me being gobby...its fact.

The only reason i don't about xyz is because i haven't trained in xyz....anymore than a doctor is trained as a nail tech....does that make him/her thick....???......was he/she thick before they became a doctor...and then just happened to get smart....???

All this talk of air head beauty/nail techs gets my goat...:irked: ..get a life.

 

[Cec]

Why do we always have to SAY so loud that we are intelligent, at least as itelligent as "them"? Isn't this a little bit weird? Different work claims different skills and we can't all have the same interests. Some people like nails, some like doctoring and some like accounting, none of us is "the better".

Jus MY two pennies...

C.

 

[aliceellen1974]

most of the comments i get are "dont you get bored doing this" "youve got more patience than me!" etc etc

well its a bloody good job i am not bored and i do have patience or you wouldnt have such fab nails when i have finished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:green:

xxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Bagpuss]

Hi,

I think we are all sick of such comments, but on the other side, I don't blame them. You don't need to be a "rocket scientist" (sp?) to work in the beauty-industry and there ARE more "babes" in our industry than in many others.

C.

Why do we always have to SAY so loud that we are intelligent, at least as itelligent as "them"? Isn't this a little bit weird? Different work claims different skills and we can't all have the same interests. Some people like nails, some like doctoring and some like accounting, none of us is "the better".

Jus MY two pennies...

C.

I know what you mean Cec...but to be real honest your first quote is one of the many that :irked: me......whats your definition of a babe...???....x

 

[Sassy Hassy]

most of the comments i get are "dont you get bored doing this" "youve got more patience than me!" etc etc

well its a bloody good job i am not bored and i do have patience or you wouldnt have such fab nails when i have finished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:green:

xxxxxxxxxxx

Lol I wouldn't mind a pound for every time I've heard that one!

Now I've had many jobs and you should have seen the looks and comments I'd get when I used to say I worked in the Poll Tax section of the Council , or when I sold cars! Trust me, being told you're a babe is pretty cool in comparison!:!:

I really don't care what people think, I love my job and I'm out of the rat race ... they're the suckers for not realising there's more to life than a high flying stressful job that they hate!

 

[izzidoll]

I know what you mean Cec...but to be real honest your first quote is one of the many that :irked: me......whats your definition of a babe...???....x

Come on Angie...you know she means you lol!!:lol:

 

[Lellipop]

As someone who did a psychology degree I find myself to be far from dumb lol But I chose to do nails because I wanted to not because it was the only thing I was capable of doing and being a babe suits me just fine

 

[Bagpuss]

Maybe i was over tired last night.....love the tag babe but not if its attached to being a bimbo, just cos your a nail tech and not a professor !. x

 

[beautynails]

I was at my sister in law's the other night and a friend of hers called in to see her.

This girl had a Chloe bag with her and was selling them(copies) I hadn't met her before and my sil introduced me and said 'Rachael has a lot of women clients that would probably love them.' She ask why, and sil says Rachael "does" nails. She goes ' awww do you do nails too? Like Lucy?' (sil jumped on bandwagon, did one day course when she saw what I was earning and has done one client since she did her "course" 2 years ago.

I have been a qualified (properly) and a working nail tech for eight years and in my opinion have been sucessful and am proud of my career. Why then do I get really defensive when a complete stranger comes out with some patronising comment like that?

I should be used to it by now!

I've also had...

So...you can earn a living from nails can you?

Awww your job is so cute.

Ok, this may come across as being harsh, but I don't mean it that way.

Whatever, your occupation, race, religion or station in life, people will always disrespect you.

People always complain about teachers & how much time they have off, but I don't ebvy them the job of having to deal with 25+ kids all day. Or politicians, the people in control of running our countries, how much sh** do they cop. That's just the way people are.

You have to demand respect for yourself, & if people don't respect you......bugger 'em. Who cares? They are not worth worrying about.

 

[Cec]

I know what you mean Cec...but to be real honest your first quote is one of the many that :irked: me......whats your definition of a babe...???....x

Hi Angie,

To be honest, I can't define "babe", but I think you know what I meant. I think the term "babe" is not very concrete, but it's definately (sp?) negative loaded.

Years ago, I would also have become angry about anybody using that term about people working in my field. Now, I don't care, because I know what I am, and maybe I even have a little of this "babe-factors" in me, but that's my problem. (It's my problem that I do gardening with skirts and high-healed boots... :-D) I also think it's important to "face the facts", that there ARE an over-representation of "babes" that become attractive to our field, that's only natural, don't you think?

To defend my work and choice buy saying I could have been something else (doctor, accountants etc) only undergrave (???? not sure if this is an English word at all... Norwegian-Enlgish??? ) myself.

C.

 

[Cec]

I really don't care what people think, I love my job and I'm out of the rat race ... they're the suckers for not realising there's more to life than a high flying stressful job that they hate!

I don't get this... Everytime we discuss this, everybody say this and "defend" themselves with it. Why do you believe everybody else hates their job? Isn't it wrong to say we hate people because they think we have choosen the wrong field, when we say exactly the same about their (boring) jobs?

C.

 

[Bagpuss]

Hi Angie,

To be honest, I can't define "babe", but I think you know what I meant. I think the term "babe" is not very concrete, but it's definately (sp?) negative loaded.

C.

this is what i thought you meant and why i got :irked: about it....nothing on your part...its just me i guess. Its like the word bimbo and i don't like that either...i just don't think its fair to be labelled in a way thats more about how you look or dress rather than what you do.

P.S....i use the word babes/babe all the time....but its in a affectionate term ONLY..........xx

(Cec....i ain't :irked: at you xx)

 

[sugarbabe]

To defend my work and choice buy saying I could have been something else (doctor, accountants etc) only undergrave (???? not sure if this is an English word at all... Norwegian-Enlgish??? ) myself.

C.

That would be undermine but I think I prefer undergrave! There is no disputing your intellect Cec - I wouldn't have a clue where to start with another language, and you put your points so eloquently! x

xxxx sugar xxxxxx

 

[Bagpuss]

To defend my work and choice buy saying I could have been something else (doctor, accountants etc) only undergrave (???? not sure if this is an English word at all... Norwegian-Enlgish??? ) myself.

C.

didn't read this bit right sorry.....when i said about i could have been something else...i don't see that as undermining myself at all....its the truth. I could have been but didn't want too....same as i didn't want to learn roller skating either....just my choice. x