An Introduction to Hairdressing

A Career in Hairdressing

Choosing to learn the skills needed to become a hairdresser is only the start. Once you are qualified, a hairdressing career can lead to many possibilities. You could become a very well known or famous hairdresser. You could own your own salon or chain of salons. You could work in the limelight within the television or film industry. You are not tied down to just working in high street salons either. Hairdressing jobs can be found almost anywhere.

Places you can find hairdressing jobs

• Hotels
• Department stores
• Residential homes
• Hospitals
• Leisure centres
• Health clubs
• Cruise liners

Becoming a Manager

Working your way up to becoming the manager of a salon is a great hairdressing career goal. It will take time, lots of hard work and loyalty. Being the manager and owning your own hairdressing salon can be even more rewarding, but you will have more responsibility as a business owner and need a good understanding of basic business skills.

Working for Manufacturers

Another great hairdressing career to look into is working for manufacturers. Manufacturers of hairdressing products and tools employ many qualified hairdressers within their industry. There are many hairdressing jobs in this industry. They need representatives to give advice on tools or hair products. They need sales reps to sell hair products to hairdressers and retail outlets. They also need product demonstrators who can show how products are used in colleges and training centres.

A Career in Television, Film or Theatre

To work in this industry you will need some practical experience, as well as extra qualifications, in stage make-up and wig making. Your working hours will be varied and you may be asked to work late into the night. But there are many rewards to be had working in television, film or theatre. As such, there is huge competition for these hairdressing jobs.

Becoming a Teacher

You will need some advanced hairdressing qualifications as well as some basic teaching qualifications to become a hairdressing teacher. As a hairdressing teacher you can work in training centres, hairdressing colleges or hairdressing schools. You will be teaching the next generation of hairdressers, who will then be looking for good hairdressing jobs and careers as well.

Becoming a Hair Consultant

A hair consultant (or trichologist) is a hair and scalp expert. A hair consultant is one of the most important and specialist hairdressing jobs to have. They deal with many hair and scalp problems such as hair loss. There are hair clinics all over the world that deal with hair and scalp problems. Becoming a hair consultant can take many years of learning, but it can prove to be a very rewarding and highly paid hairdressing career.

Being a Great Hairdresser

When a client decides to get their hair done, it's a good idea to remember what the client is actually paying for. They are not buying a tangible product (unless they decide to buy hair products before they leave the salon). They are paying for a skilled service. As hairdressers, it is our job to provide that skilled service.

You know how to shampoo, cut and style your clients hair proficiently, but that is not all a prospective employer is looking for. They want a hairdresser that can provide more than just the physical service of attending to a client’s hair.

Good communication skills are not only needed to understand a client’s needs but to give advice and allow a client to feel comfortable and in safe hands. In this way any misunderstandings can be avoided. A hairdresser needs to be confident and outgoing. They need to be able to socialise with many different types of people and genuinely show an interest in their clients. This is all part of Client Care.

Being able to work as part of a team is also essential as most hairdressing salons have several members of staff. A higher level of efficiency can be attained when working together which can produce a better level of service to the client over all.

An understanding of changing fashion trends and a flair for creativity is essential in having a long and successful hairdressing career. An awareness of Health and Safety in the salon is also important and must be apparent at all times.

A willingness to learn new hairdressing skills, techniques and methods shows commitment to having a lengthy career in hairdressing.

Most hairdressing salons are open 6 days a week with Fridays and Saturdays being the busiest days. A hairdresser must be prepared to work on their feet for long hours and still enjoy what they do.

There is much more to getting the hairdressing job you want than just the skills and qualifications you have gained. Commitment, determination and a love of hairdressing will eventually give you experience. This experience will give you the ability to provide a great level of hairdressing service to any client and hopefully it will give you a very happy and successful career in hairdressing.

Start with Client Care and Health and Safety