Would you take on a volunteer?

SPA EQUIPMENT & MACHINES ✅ Beauty Salon Supplier in the US
SalonGeek

Help Support SalonGeek:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
E

elmaziye1

Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2013
Messages
20
Reaction score
0
Location
north west uk
Hello geeks,

Still a bit new to this site , but seems like the best place to ask for advice.

What I was wondering is how you guys who have salons feel about taking on volunteers?

I ask because Ive recently been applying for work experience in beauty salons (calling/writing/popping in etc) and lots of the people Ive chatted to seemed to think it was strange I was applying to work for free and some even a bit suspicious!! Is this normal?

Ive qualified in nvq level 2 beauty therapy and done nvq level 3 gel and acrylic units. Im due to start my level 3 beauty therapy in sept.
Im booked in the next few months to do some waxing courses with kim lawless and am going to book some nsi workshops (when I find a model) to improve my shoddy nail skills.

Im a confident / friendly sort of person who always mucks in , but I do need to improve and am willing to work for free to do so.
I thought doing some voluntary work while at collage was a normal sort of thing?

I literally just want to get better so when I leave collage I can find a salon job. no desire to work for myself (I previously worked for myself in media ...didnt sleep much haha)

Am I mad and/or desperate?

What would you think if I had been applying to u?

Any advice welcome

thanks geeks
 
oooh sorry forgot to say , Im a mature student ..... could that have something to do with it?
 
elmaziye1 said:
Hello geeks,

Still a bit new to this site , but seems like the best place to ask for advice.

What I was wondering is how you guys who have salons feel about taking on volunteers?

I ask because Ive recently been applying for work experience in beauty salons (calling/writing/popping in etc) and lots of the people Ive chatted to seemed to think it was strange I was applying to work for free and some even a bit suspicious!! Is this normal?

Ive qualified in nvq level 2 beauty therapy and done nvq level 3 gel and acrylic units. Im due to start my level 3 beauty therapy in sept.
Im booked in the next few months to do some waxing courses with kim lawless and am going to book some nsi workshops (when I find a model) to improve my shoddy nail skills.

Im a confident / friendly sort of person who always mucks in , but I do need to improve and am willing to work for free to do so.
I thought doing some voluntary work while at collage was a normal sort of thing?

I literally just want to get better so when I leave collage I can find a salon job. no desire to work for myself (I previously worked for myself in media ...didnt sleep much haha)

Am I mad and/or desperate?

What would you think if I had been applying to u?

Any advice welcome

thanks geeks
Click to expand...

I think you're doing the right thing. I did salon work experience for a few months and it was mostly reception work and a bit of tidying here and there all unpaid but its worthwhile because you could get employed there or it could open doors with other employers because it shows that you are serious about being in the industry. Wishing you luck in finding something :)
 
maybe you have just thrown them off as they aren't to people wanting to work for free? I don't have an answer for you, but maybe your just looking in the wrong places? maybe look at some internships or something aswell? sorry not much help
 
thanks for your replies ladies ,

I dunno, spose Ill just keep applying .. maybe to places further out from
where I live. becoming very disheartened lol

xx
 
they might just think your mad for wanting to work for free as they never would, or have never had anybody else work for free. but I can see why your wanting too. work experience is usual in all trades of work in my opinion. when i was at university studying costume, all i did for the three years was work experience and also the first year after i left i did side work experience projects along my normal work. every little bit helps. and like i said maybe your just looking in the wrong places.
 
If they're "suspicious" maybe they think you're trying to learn their business practices so you can steal them or something? That's the only explanation I can come up with for turning away free help.
 
1. I'm sure there was a case recently where the ruling was that all interns had to be paid the appropriate minimum wage for their age. I don't know the details, but was aware that there was a ruling. Maybe other salon owners are aware too, and to be on the safe side, it's better not to risk it.

2. I recently had someone call to apply for a shampooist job I have advertised. She explained that she was a qualified hairdresser, but was desperate to work in my salon, even as a shampooist. On closer questioning, she happily admitted that she had her own business doing hair at home.
Now I know you'll all jump in and say I should be flattered that she wanted to learn from me, but MY perspective was that this was someone building a rival business, who was prepared to do menial work in order to access my clients, my stock, and my data. Way too risky, so I declined to interview her. My contracts clearly state that my employees cannot have a rival business to mine, as they are put in positions of trust.
 
ah that would make sense, I was beginning to wonder if It was just something about me lol.
I genuinely just want to get a job, don't want to start a business myself. maybe ill have to find a way of getting that across better.
 
Don't call it volunteering.
Tell them you are looking to work as an apprentice or intern.

Explain from the beginning you are not looking to open a rival business and are willing to sign their contracts or whatever needed to prove it.

Plus, call only to make sure the owner is there and go in person. Explain. WHen they see you are sincere it goes a lot farther than a cold call.

I can't say it will work but it can't hurt :D
 
elmaziye1 said:
ah that would make sense, I was beginning to wonder if It was just something about me lol.
I genuinely just want to get a job, don't want to start a business myself. maybe ill have to find a way of getting that across better.
Click to expand...

Never take it personally. Salons can be snowed under with CV's at times. It might be worth looking up the rules on work experience/interns, so that you can show the salon owner if they are unsure of the law.
Good luck.
 
Hi, i work in a school - we send our level 2&3 girls on a work experience placement once a week,
They usually can get their own placements or if they struggle to get one we will help get them a placement.
I think it's a valuable part of the course, one girl even got a Saturday job from it during the course and and now has been taken on after completing.

Does your college not do any work experience during your course? Or maybe your tutor can help ?

Sandra x


Sent from my iPhone using SalonGeek app
 
Last edited:
that sounds really good, we didnt do that for level 2 , but hopefully they might for level three, I will ask when I start in september.
 
Just go in & say your looking for some work experience in a salon to help you gain employment once you've finished your level 3, I've done it in two different salons one for 5 days & another just for one day I'm now looking for somewhere to stay until I finish my level 3
 
Your mega! I would take you on no probs if I covered what you train in. It because the new generation would rarely work for free! Good to see you trying!! X
 
I got my work experience through a job interview. I just knew that she wasn't going to take me on as a paid employee so I said "I sense that you don't want to employ me here but you've got a lovely salon here and you all seem like really nice people...would I be able to come here for work experience?" This worked well and i would recommend it.
 
Thank you so much for you replies , I feel alot better , gunna try new ways of applying. fingers crossed
 

Similar threads

P
Newly self employed. Advice needed.
Replies
12
Views
3K
PaigeRosexxx
P
The skin therapist
Pay rise or self employed
Replies
4
Views
2K
WeltZumerr
WeltZumerr
B
Partnership Arrangement
Replies
3
Views
965
TheDuchess
T
CharlotteHurra
Question: How to choose peroxide% and which color, for lift
Replies
5
Views
3K
CharlotteHurra
CharlotteHurra
U
.
Replies
2
Views
1K
TheDuchess
T

Latest posts

Back
Top