working for free?

[galaxy83]

Good morning all!!

After completing my nvq level 1 in december part time at college i am now a few weeks into my level 2. As much as I enjoy college I really want some 'real' salon experience.

I can't become a full time junior as i have young children plus a nails business so i have rang a few salons asking for an afternoon or 2 a week. Now this is my dilemma.....I have said I am willing to do it unpaid if necessary because the main thing to me is the experience.

I thought this was a sure fire way to gain experience, learn new things, and eventually make me a better hairdresser. However a few people have said to me that offering to work for free is stupid and makes me sound desperate!!!

At the end of the day we only get 3 hours a week at college and to me its just not enough.....i feel i'd really benefit from watching and learning in a real salon evironment. However nobody is looking for a part time junior and its not like i need to rely on the money.

I've actually got a mini interview type thing this afternoon at a salon down the road, but people are putting doubts in my mind!!!!

What do you guys think? Was i right in the first place and this is a good way to gain knowledge and experience? Or are my friends right in saying i would sound stupid and desperate!!

Thanks in advance hunnies!

 

[gemsie1983]

I don't think you seem desparate, but maybe you should think about asking for a contribution towards expenses (travel, food etc)

 

[sodabubble]

I think you sound keen not desparate! I really hope you get yourself a few hours each week of experience, nothing beats a real salon envirnment, and at the end of the day, if you witness bad practice and unprofessionalism then at least you'll have an insight of how not to do things! Either way, it will benefit you in the long term, especially as most NVQ courses require that you do some kind of placement AS WELL AS the normal 2 week 'work experience' so my advice is get your foot in the door!
Bear in mind that I am only a skin and nail geek, but I suspect your question covers the industry as a whole, thats why I have replied to this thread
good luck! xx

 

[sodabubble]

I don't think you seem desparate, but maybe you should think about asking for a contribution towards expenses (travel, food etc)

travel and food? I think the salon is only down the road :hug: xx

 

[shellpink]

I have thought of exactly the same thing, Im at college doing level 2 beauty and thought I could ask the local salon if I could go in to get a bit of experience, but like you, have 2 children, and things are a little difficult at the mo. I say go for it!!

 

[*JOANNE*]

the girls in my class have been thinking the same thing, a day in a salon unpaid so we get salon experience during the week the same times we have at college 9.30 - 4pm and also to lead up too our level 3.

 

[Exquisite Touch]

I have a girl come in to my salon for experience on a wednesday its unpaid but she gets the experience if i have a good day i pay her twenty quid to show how much I appreicaite her work.

 

[natsel]

i think its a great idea you dont sound desperate at all , you will gain the experience of what its like to work in a salon , and get more hands on experience well done and good luck :hug:

 

[galaxy83]

Thanks for your replies everyone! Well I went for my chat with the salon owner today and I'm really pleased I did.

She said I can work as often or as little as i like....i can stand and watch the stylists if there's nothing to do and can even bring my own models in and she will teach me one to one how to do whatever i want on them!!!

Everyone there is really friendly and i think the amount of experience i will get and the amount i will learn is worth a hell of a lot more than money at the minute. I start on Saturday and I'm so excited!!!

If anyone else is thinking of doing it go for it....i really think it's a great opportunity.

Thanks again everyone

xxx

 

[loubylou]

Well done Nikki that's great news and the lady that owns the salon sounds great,
i have had loads of young girls walk in my salon asking for work,
i am not in a position to be able to employ anyone just yet but i do always say that if they want to work voluntary for the experience then i would allow them a couple of days a week,
so far every one of them has turned their nose up and said no,
to me that says that they are not interested in learning anything and just want some pocket money,
i think you have the right attitude that is needed and hopefully you will learn loads in your new job :hug:

 

[Little Angel]

Hi

Well from a salon owners point of view, i certainly wouldnt see you as being desperate!! I would be impressed with your enthusiasm. I have had quite a few girls do this in my salon, in fact i ended up employing one of them in the end when she had finished her training. What impressed me was that she just wanted to learn! She helped out the apprentice and showed willing so i started including her in salon training and the rest as you would say is history. If you give a lot you get a lot back.

Jobs are hard to find so if you can get in a salon, and you like it i say go for it! As a salon owner i am very flexible with my staff and their hours escpecially the ones with children, some salons will be quite happy for you to work 1 day a week even or all afternoons etc.

With the right attitude and obviously a great personality and talent you will go far xx

 

[minky]

Hi , I have always done lots of voluntary work,
I did voluntary Assessing ,
and Hair Extension training courses for all the juniors in a hairdressers on their training nights ,
this keeps up my Assessor skills and helps all the youngsters too ,

I gain lots of ongoing teacher training skills plus CPD.

You will also be able to ask them for a glowing reference towards a good job good luck :hug: x

.

 

[galaxy83]

Well done Nikki that's great news and the lady that owns the salon sounds great,
i have had loads of young girls walk in my salon asking for work,
i am not in a position to be able to employ anyone just yet but i do always say that if they want to work voluntary for the experience then i would allow them a couple of days a week,
so far every one of them has turned their nose up and said no,
to me that says that they are not interested in learning anything and just want some pocket money,
i think you have the right attitude that is needed and hopefully you will learn loads in your new job :hug:

This is exactly what she said, and she seemed genuinely excited to have me there even though she couldnt afford to pay me! She also made the good point that I'm doing the right thing because its hard to get into hairdressing as an adult (im 24) without being so dedicated and doing something like this.

She said she's known people who have come straight from part time college with their nvq 2 but salons will only take them on as juniors because of the lack of experience, they have then had to give it up because most adults cant afford to live on the £80 a week juniors wage.

Thanks again for all your replies and good luck! I'm soooooo excited Bring on saturday lol!!

 

[oey]

Well done on getting the work experience - I am sure it will work really well for you. Make sure you are not taken advantage of though.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[soriminah]

At least when you've finished your training you have real life experience which is going to put you ahead of other people. Real life experience is invaluable. I work with a football club doing massage and get paid 1\3 per hour what I could get but the experience I have got working there is invaluable.

 

[Tazzie]

Thanks for your replies everyone! Well I went for my chat with the salon owner today and I'm really pleased I did.

She said I can work as often or as little as i like....i can stand and watch the stylists if there's nothing to do and can even bring my own models in and she will teach me one to one how to do whatever i want on them!!!

Everyone there is really friendly and i think the amount of experience i will get and the amount i will learn is worth a hell of a lot more than money at the minute. I start on Saturday and I'm so excited!!!

If anyone else is thinking of doing it go for it....i really think it's a great opportunity.

Thanks again everyone

xxx

Hay Hun,

Well done, I did it for six months for free and then eventually they started paying me little bits, then sending me on extra courses and now i have a full time stylists position so the more effort you put in whilst your learning the more you will get out of it. good on ya!!

 

[dizzyblonde195]

i did this i did two half days and this is how i got a job i should how keen i was and what i could do and now i am fully qualified working there as a full time stylist they paid for all my training and equipment

i think it gave me enough time to shine and they saw what i could do and took me on im fully booked most days now so i would go for it every thing happens for a reason x x

 

[sodabubble]

hiya galaxy how are you getting on with it?

 

[galaxy83]

It's going great thanks!

I'm just doing a wednesday and saturday afternoon at the minute but I'm learning so much! I think I'm learning more here than at college (practical wise). It's little things like being shown how to mix colour (we're not allowed to mix it at college the tutor has to go away and get it for you!), even my blow dries have massively improved just from watching people do it all day and watching what different angles they hold the dryer for different styles etc etc. Oh and I've learnt to create curls with ghd's lol!!!

And I get my hair done for free as a thankyou!!!


I just can't wait for that 'new' feeling to go....you know the one, where you feel like the odd one out because you dont know everyone properly and where everything is

I'm taking my sister in next week for her colour....I'll feel like a real life hairdresser lol :lol:

So after all my babbling the point I am trying to get at is.....I'm loving it thanks for asking!!

 

[becki x]

Fabulous news :!: