Are you fond of hairstyling your hair or even other people’s hair? Do you have creative ideas or new ways to style hair? Do you feel that sense of fulfilment once you groom your hair or someone else’s and they thank you for a job well done, and you see the evidence on their face that they are really happy with the outcome? Could you be dreaming of becoming a prominent and well-respected hairdresser someday? And hopefully, build your very own salon in the future where it will cater to all the different and individual hairstyling needs? If your answer is yes to all these questions, then you just got yourself on track as we will be guiding you step by step towards your ambitions of starting your hairdressing apprenticeship and get you on your way to becoming a full-time hairdresser. Without any further a due, there are three major steps towards becoming a professional hairdresser. First is to become an apprentice in a salon, followed by passing the requirements of a hairdresser’s national vocational qualifications (NVQs), and then lastly pursue a higher degree on hairdressing.
Here we will focus on the first and the second steps. What is a hairdressing apprenticeship? As the title speaks for itself, simply a hairdressing apprenticeship is when an individual undergoes training under a certified superior to learn and practice the basic skills of hairdressing in the premises of a salon. And by basic skills we mean booking appointments for clients, shampooing, conditioning and drying hair, mixing and applying colour, perming and relaxing, cutting and styling the hair to suit the client’s face shape, and promoting products to allow the client to look and feel good about the self. As you get advanced by time, cutting and colouring skills will eventually be mastered allowing you to set trends as you become even more creative and bold. Once your job starts as an apprentice, you have to prepare yourself to stand for long hours and have enough energy to face your clients in a welcoming and accommodating manner.
More importantly than the products you will use on the client’s hairs, it is your service that they are availing and so you need to be able to communicate with them well to provide for customer satisfaction. Always have yourself presentably groomed and if possible make your hairstyle more stylish than your clients thus giving them confidence that you know what you are doing and encouraging them to care for their hair as much. It is essential to take this first step of apprenticeship because it will allow you to earn money (thus support your daily expenses and further needs to continue with your hairdressing career) and at the same time gain the skills you require for you to gain the national vocational qualifications of a hairdresser. Where do you find available hairdressing apprenticeships? You have two options for this. If you are still studying and want to take a part-time apprentice job, you can consult your school’s Vocational Education and Training (VET) coordinator for he/she can help you decide the best option out there. Good luck on your pursuit of a hairdressing apprenticeship and becoming full-time hairdresser