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Is your artistic talent going to waste? Itching to let those creative juices out? Then hairdressing may be the career you are looking for!
Hairdressing isn’t just a job; it can be a creative and satisfying career in which, every day, you can use your skills to help people feel better about themselves. And if you have ever thought about being your own boss, then you could have your own business sooner through hairdressing than most other professions.HAIR TODAY, GONE TOMORROW So what does it take to qualify as a hairdresser? “There’s a strong vocational strand when it comes to training”, says Elaine White of Habia, the skills sector council for hairdressing and beauty therapy. There are several ways you can qualify. The vocational route means starting right at the bottom, sweeping the floor and making the coffees in a local salon, but from there you can work towards a Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) at level 2 (which you need to be a junior stylist or junior receptionist). You can then progress onto a modern apprenticeship leading to SVQ level 3, the minimum requirement for stylists. Many big hairdressing chains have their own in-house training schemes – either way, you learn about hairdressing on the job and work your way up. Alternatively, a full-time college course can lead to an SVQ level 3, and also allow you to take on other subjects such as an SVQ level 2 in beauty therapy. Then if you are interested in becoming your own boss you can progress onto university to study for an HNC/HND in hairdressing and salon management or a BSc (hons) in salon management. Even once you qualify there is still plenty of training to do. “You not only have to learn a skill” says Elaine, “but have to continue learning it for the rest of your working life. The way you cut hair now is completely different to the way it was cut five or ten years ago”. A CUT ABOVE THE REST? To be a successful hairdresser you need to have stamina (it involves lots of standing) and be a good learner. It helps if you’re good with your hands and have an eye for colour and fashion. CUTTING EDGE The career potential in the hairdressing field is endless. The main positions in a salon are stylist and colour technician but as the likes of Nicky Clarke and Lee Strafford show – with their own salons, hair products and celebrity clients – it’s amazing what you can achieve if you put your mind to it. If the life of celebrity does not enthral you, there are opportunities to work behind the scenes as a stylist on TV dramas and films. Freelancing – for example, cutting people’s hair in their own homes – is also a good way of running your own business, although you may prefer the permanence of opening your own salon. You never know, one day you might be receiving a trophy at the British Hairdressing Awards for Hairdresser of the Year!! SHOW ME THE MONEY... OK, training pay is only around the national minimum wage (£3.40 an hour for under 18s, £4.60 an hour for 18-21 year olds), though tips and an educational maintenance allowance (check www.emascotland.com for more info) can boost your income. Though newly qualified hairdressers earn up to £12,500 a year, experienced stylists will see their incomes heading towards £25,000 if they build their skills and reputation. The great thing is there’s literally no limit to what you can potentially earn – many of the industry’s top stylists earn six-figure sums. MORE INFO Habia 0845 230 6080 www.habia.org |