"Work experience", what are your views?

[fuzzyduck]

I recently (very reluctantly I may add) agreed to have a school girl with me for a week to do work experience . Over the years of being in business have had many girls but laterly I decided to stop as it was too problematic.
I was asked by a client who taught at a local school and was asked if I would accept this girl and I agreed.

I had booked out 2 hours to sit with her and go through salon procedures, "meet and greet" how to answer telephone etc.
This is all written in a handbook to make it easier for her.
Well, Monday morning arrived she turned up 10 mins late her face was the brightest shade of Tango her eyelashes looked like she had two dead tarantulas attached to her face hair lots of multi coloured extensions. (Think you have the picture )!!
"She's young she needs moulding " I tell myself.
I sat with her and went into great detail telling her "you get one chance to make a first impression" and it has to be good. I explained she will have to deal with clients from all walks of life and will need to be a bit like a chameleon .
I told her how to address clients exactly what to say and how to say it.
She sits and nods her head .........great she's got it.
My first client arrives a well heeled lady in her 60's. This is how the conversation went.
(Me ) "GOOD MORNING MRS XXXX HOW ARE YOU TODAY"?
(CLIENT) "VERY WELL THANK YOU"
(ME) "MAY I INTRODUCE XXXX SHE'S WITH US THIS WEEK DOING WORK EXPERIENCE AND IF YOU DON'T MIND I WOULD LIKE HER TO WATCH YOUR TREATMENT TODAY"
(CLIENT) "OF COURSE NOT HELLO XXXX"
(WORK EXPERINCE GIRL) " WHAT'CHA"

Had she not understood me! Had I been wasting my breath for the past 2 hours?!!
Call me an old dinosaur but please tell me is " WHAT'CHA" an acceptable way to greet a client.?!!!
I didn't know whether to burst out laughing or bash my head into the wall.

I take the client into the treatment room .Instead of sitting watching intently she started to look at herself in the mirror and proceeded to rearrange her "tarantulas"! I really couldn't believe it. I glared at her had the urge to throw a bottle of cleanser at her.
The week went from bad to worse. Needless to say I will NEVER accept another person for work experience .
Is it me or has anyone else experienced anything like this?!

WHAT'S HAPPENED TO STANDARDS?!!

 

[persianista]

To be fair, there's so little that they're actually allowed to do nowadays that I don't think it's worth it. In an office, maybe, but salons totally contravene all the work experience guidelines for school age children.
I've seen them full of attitude, affronted by the request to tone down the 'street' accent (we're in Bromley, not the Bronx, innit), and mortally offended by my request to put their tits away when they wear such low cut tops that they're falling out.
"People should accept me as I am, coz I'm not changin for anyone, innit" is a popular refrain. They also know more than everyone else, and should be earning millions by the time they're 16.
We've also caught two of them stealing, one from a stylists bag, the other from the salon, so sadly I tar them all with the same brush, and don't have work experience people in my salons anymore.

 

[virtues2011]

I recently (very reluctantly I may add) agreed to have a school girl with me for a week to do work experience . Over the years of being in business have had many girls but laterly I decided to stop as it was too problematic.
I was asked by a client who taught at a local school and was asked if I would accept this girl and I agreed.

I had booked out 2 hours to sit with her and go through salon procedures, "meet and greet" how to answer telephone etc.
This is all written in a handbook to make it easier for her.
Well, Monday morning arrived she turned up 10 mins late her face was the brightest shade of Tango her eyelashes looked like she had two dead tarantulas attached to her face hair lots of multi coloured extensions. (Think you have the picture )!!
"She's young she needs moulding " I tell myself.
I sat with her and went into great detail telling her "you get one chance to make a first impression" and it has to be good. I explained she will have to deal with clients from all walks of life and will need to be a bit like a chameleon .
I told her how to address clients exactly what to say and how to say it.
She sits and nods her head .........great she's got it.
My first client arrives a well heeled lady in her 60's. This is how the conversation went.
(Me ) "GOOD MORNING MRS XXXX HOW ARE YOU TODAY"?
(CLIENT) "VERY WELL THANK YOU"
(ME) "MAY I INTRODUCE XXXX SHE'S WITH US THIS WEEK DOING WORK EXPERIENCE AND IF YOU DON'T MIND I WOULD LIKE HER TO WATCH YOUR TREATMENT TODAY"
(CLIENT) "OF COURSE NOT HELLO XXXX"
(WORK EXPERINCE GIRL) " WHAT'CHA"

Had she not understood me! Had I been wasting my breath for the past 2 hours?!!
Call me an old dinosaur but please tell me is " WHAT'CHA" an acceptable way to greet a client.?!!!
I didn't know whether to burst out laughing or bash my head into the wall.

I take the client into the treatment room .Instead of sitting watching intently she started to look at herself in the mirror and proceeded to rearrange her "tarantulas"! I really couldn't believe it. I glared at her had the urge to throw a bottle of cleanser at her.
The week went from bad to worse. Needless to say I will NEVER accept another person for work experience .
Is it me or has anyone else experienced anything like this?!

WHAT'S HAPPENED TO STANDARDS?!!

Ha ha I understand. Probably could be caused that your help was the last resort to finding a placement for work experience. However the girl seems to take an interest in the beauty side by what you have said, on herself, although not very good at the application side. Her age goes against her here I think. I used to watch some sights come out of my daughters school. Times have changed I think and not for the better. Half of the kids can't read or write only in text talk and speech and appearance are following suit rather quickly. I know not all kids are like this but I'm finding more and more are! If it helps I had a mature qualified stylist straight from college (37) with no salon experience, she was often late, stank of booze, she looked a state and the last straw she was cutting a clients hair with the shakes, left half way through to go outside and be sick. Clearly that was the first and last time that happened!

 

[Mobile Manicure]

Oh gosh this is all so funny. Sorry, I know it's not funny to you. But reading it is.

When I was 15 we did work experience at a privately run beauty school in Sydney. It was the best week we could ever wish for. As it was a school, we were treated as the guinea pigs and the students worked on us all week.

Our attitude was completely different in those days. We were shy, polite and grateful. We turned up in business attire and court shoes with tights and buns in our hair. There was no such thing as street talk. This is 30 years ago mind you, probably well before most of you were born! :Scared:

 

[Annemarie]

To be fair, there's so little that they're actually allowed to do nowadays that I don't think it's worth it. In an office, maybe, but salons totally contravene all the work experience guidelines for school age children.
I've seen them full of attitude, affronted by the request to tone down the 'street' accent (we're in Bromley, not the Bronx, innit), and mortally offended by my request to put their tits away when they wear such low cut tops that they're falling out.
"People should accept me as I am, coz I'm not changin for anyone, innit" is a popular refrain. They also know more than everyone else, and should be earning millions by the time they're 16.
We've also caught two of them stealing, one from a stylists bag, the other from the salon, so sadly I tar them all with the same brush, and don't have work experience people in my salons anymore.

Iv had an exact replica of the one you are talking about here. They must be twins. Can't do with attitude.
I had a newly qualified level 2 therapist on a trial period in the summer. Her attitude was shocking, her polishing skills... well lets just say my 10 year old daughter could do a much better job with her eyes closed. It was the worst French polish I had ever seen. How she got passed off for that is beyond me. Disgraceful

 

[fuzzyduck]

Ahhhh Persianista Virtues I Think we are all from the same century!! HA HA !
I have sadly come across many "therapists" like this but it is in the last 10 yrs it has been more noticeable . The language you are talking about Persianista is called "Estuaral English" Apparantly. Fantastic isn't it.!!

Just what the clients want to listen to.

 

[fuzzyduck]

Oh and you too mobile manicure!!
X

 

[persianista]

Ahhhh Persianista Virtues I Think we are all from the same century!! HA HA !
I have sadly come across many "therapists" like this but it is in the last 10 yrs it has been more noticeable . The language you are talking about Persianista is called "Estuaral English" Apparantly. Fantastic isn't it.!!

Just what the clients want to listen to.

Is see...but we don't have any estuaries here...
I can forgive a glottal stop so beloved of south Londoners, but patois? Really? Especially when they're whiter than I am!!:evil:

 

[Mad_4_Massage]

The salon i rent my nail desk from has a work experience girl there and she is lovely, well presented and well spoken! However her training is terrible!

It took her (Brace yourselves waxers) 4 hours to do a full leg wax, and that was when the salon owner (A good friend of mine) asked me to go help as i was done with my own clients and was about to head home and she was back to back all day.

There was wax left all over the leg, stray hairs everywhere, she'd only managed to do the front of one leg and the bottom front half of the other. She went through 2 full packs of wax strips, 3 packs of cotton pads and half a bottle of cleanser! I was shocked at the state she had the client in!

The client had been told that it was a work experience girl and she would get a 15% discount off her treatment to give the girl experience as it might take longer but i dont think she was expecting that long!

As an experienced waxer, it took me 45mins to get all the dried wax off her legs and finish the leg wax, which meant the woman had been there for nearly five hours!

(Bonus for me, the salon owner got me a bottle of rose for helping her out and a box of chocs! :wink2: )

 

[Mobile Manicure]

I hope the client got a bottle and a bunch of flowers and didn't have to pay! :Scared:

 

[Mad_4_Massage]

I hope the client got a bottle and a bunch of flowers and didn't have to pay! :Scared:

No she didn't have to pay aha She also got a voucher so she can have her next leg wax half price and a complementary deluxe pedicure.

 

[Lynne Baker]

Someone, somewhere is leading these girls to believe that this is an acceptable attitude and appearance.
I blame the colleges 100%.

 

[JemmaB]

Someone, somewhere is leading these girls to believe that this is an acceptable attitude and appearance.
I blame the colleges 100%.

Totally agree with you Lynn.
When I was at college we did customer services... It was all just on a computer!
Not reading anything just answering questions, lecturer may as well of not been there.

From what I've heard recently its even worse or they don't do it at all.

We've had a few girls in for work experience but their attitudes are terrible.
They put their feet up on the shelf behind reception desk, they ignore clients when they come in, cleaning and washing up is out of the question and most of them just want to sit on reception all day.

Of course not all the girls are like like but I'd day the majority are and its a real shame.
There was no passion for the career it was like something they just had to turn up to x

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[Ryk]

Please don't blame the colleges 😁it's the school system that is failing ! You should see then when we get them . Unfortunately careers advisers have a very poor opinion of our industry and think hair and beauty is for thick students and under achievers ! And it is getting worse, in the UK by next year you have to be in training or education until you are 18 and as a result all the schools want to keep the academic learners and send the rest out to colleges. These type of young people are being failed by the schools as they are leaving without basic life skills. We have one who even can't tell the time at 16. But it ultimately it starts at home and as a result of families breaking down and kids having kids this is a snap shot of the future. I also believe that texting etc means young people don't know how to communicate. The new government initiative is to teach functional skills and unbelievably until recently we could not correct spelling punctuation and grammar. It is now an ofsted requirement to correct spoken English and about bloody time too ! We spend whole lessons on meeting and greeting, before we even let them loose on clients. We also have to give some of the girls make unders! Lol ! my favorite phrase is you are not a 'beauy ferapist' you are ' beauty therapist' 'beauty has a t in it and therapist does not start with an f' and I swear the letter t is disappearing form our language, at least in Yorkshire anyway! But that is a whole new discussion 😄

 

[Lynne Baker]

Why are students who are clearly lacking in any real understanding or skill even being allowed to pass the courses?!

 

[Lynne Baker]

And does it not then behove the colleges to disabuse the careers advisers of their misguided notions?

 

[ch-ela]

Someone, somewhere is leading these girls to believe that this is an acceptable attitude and appearance.
I blame the colleges 100%.

Having recently started my beauty course at the local college, I can fully agree with you here.

It's shocking!

 

[ch-ela]

It is now an ofsted requirement to correct spoken English and about bloody time too ! We spend whole lessons on meeting and greeting, before we even let them loose on clients. We also have to give some of the girls make unders! Lol ! my favorite phrase is you are not a 'beauy ferapist' you are ' beauty therapist' 'beauty has a t in it and therapist does not start with an f' and I swear the letter t is disappearing form our language, at least in Yorkshire anyway! But that is a whole new discussion ��

That's good to know. My tutor keeps telling us about the "pacific" things we need to know and that for our exams, they will ask us (enter whatever) which is why she is going to "learn" us the correct terms. Had to bite my tongue everytime she said she would learn us something, is she our teacher or learner?
Drives me mad!!

 

[AmberExt]

And yet salons wont take apprentices over the age of 18...

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[Ryk]

It's our job to teach them skills and help them to become well rounded therapists but the damage is done before they get to us. Fortunately we don't have many students like this as we are a private college. We have some school girls come in for one day a week who are very challenging and I doubt many will progress to level 2 with us, but I am still hopefully that I can make a difference, which is more than the schools do as they have been palmed off to us ! I have worked in further education colleges and the standard is lower. The leaners have far more social and behavioural issues but ultimately all colleges are businesses if they don't pass they don't get paid from the government ! All education establishments which teach 16-19 year olds get paid ! That's why every Tom, Dick and Harry are offering courses! And promising apprenticeships which in our industry at level 2 dint work.
The 19+ mature learners are a different story they tend to want to be there, are passionate and may have paid to do the course.
Plus would you employ someone without a trade test ?!
We can't educate the schools careers advisers as they are employed by the schools, of which I explained the schools are now trying to keep the better learners . I have had some great girls over the years where schools and parents have tried to put them off ! Don't you see it's the under achievers or no hopers like the one you had they are pushing the most ! It looks better for the figures!
I also happened to withdraw of a year 11 learner last week for swearing at me ! Money or no money I won't take that from anyone ! In FE I got way more abuse than that and they never got rid if them !
Functional skills and education starts the day they are born not when they get to school or college!