For those just beginning their journey into the beauty business, let me just say I’m thrilled that you’ve chosen hairdressing as your profession! I do hope the following information will help guide you as you start your journey towards reaching your goals and aspirations. I want to share my 43 year experiences as a hairdresser/salon owner and ten years as an educator that will help you make your journey easier than mine.
I have often been asked if a career in the beauty profession a good career to enter.
My answer is a resounding yes, provided you have a passion towards maximizing your full learning and earning potential, and you receive the proper mentoring from people who have more experience than yourselves.
You have chosen a profession that offers unlimited opportunities once you gain experience, knowledge, and make a firm commitment to ongoing self improvement. It is one of the few professions you can get all the overtime you want, once you create a demand for your services. The sky’s the limit.
Building a career in the beauty profession is a journey, not a sprint. In my opinion, a career in the beauty industry can be a short cut to financial independence. Let’s compare a general track to this profession. Attending a college usually 4-6 years to graduate, then you have to find a job in a highly competitive environment, all the while struggling to pay back your student loans. You run out of money before you even have a chance to start making it. Comparatively, going to beauty school only takes 15-18 months, and your student loan is very small compared to a major university.
Once you gain valuable hands on experience, continue to learn, and create value in yourself and in your artistic and people skills, you will be able to create a demand for your services.
A career in the beauty profession offers many entrepreneurial opportunities.
Hairdressers, nail tech, skin care, massage therapy, management opportunities, owning your own business, salesman, image consultant, blogger, travel as a platform artist, the list goes on and on for what you can do in this industry. Remember all these opportunities takes time, ongoing self-improvement, and a belief that anything is possible if you don’t give up.
You must keep in mind that beauty school is designed to protect the public health and safety of the consumer and prepare you to pass your state board of examination. Unfortunately, it is not designed to give you all the skills and hands on experiences you need to meet a competitive job market and consumer demands, especially if you want to work in an upscale salon charging upscale prices.
Today’s hairdresser will have to know more than how to cut and style hair if they want to stand above the crowd and gain that all important competitive edge. Good is not enough anymore.
Beauty School is but a first step up the ladder of success. I urge you to work very hard in beauty school, listen to your teachers, maximize your full learning potential, and seek out quality education as you proceed on your journey to success and happiness.
Hairdresser Career Development Systems will guide you on your journey as well, but you must develop a passion towards education and the love of people. Above all stay positive and keep an open mind, focusing on your growth and development.
Some of you will make that journey faster then others, but with perseverance and determination you can and will succeed. You only fail when you fail to get up. It is essential that you form a solid learning foundation that will be invaluable as you continue to grow. Remember: we are creatures of habit. Why not establish strong work habits and positive attitudes right now, at the beginning of your career?
As you begin your journey, you will encounter many peaks and valleys along the way. That’s part of the growing process. Always strive to learn from your mistakes and then move on.
Our profession is in desperate need of young, gifted, hard-working people like you. You represent the future of our entire profession. I do hope this information will be helpful and enable you to make better informed career decisions based on fact, not guesswork, as you begin your journey towards success and happiness.
It took me over 43 years of hard work through trial and error to achieve my goals. It’s my wish that I can make your journey up the ladder of success much easier than mine. A trial and error approach to learning in these tough and changing business climate is just too costly! Start off smart, and stay smart, and you will thrive.
Welcome to the beauty profession, I wish you all the success and happiness on your journey.
For more advice for students, be sure to visit my Student FAQ for answers to some of the most pressing questions facing beauty school students. For those looking to get an early start, be sure to check out my work A Hairdresser’s Guide to Excellence and especially my video, A Hairdressers Journey to Success. which contains all the advice you need to succeed in the beauty industry.