Hairdressing - the New Rock n' Roll
So what would your perfect career provide? Loads of money, lots of travel, using your creativity, hanging out with cool people, the chance to run your own business at a young age and teach your skills to others?
Sound too good to be true? Ever thought of being a hairdresser, beauty therapist or nail technician?
You may not have considered hairdressing as a career option but if you are creative, like working with people and have lots of ambition it could just be your pathway to success. Hairdressing is worth at least £2.6 billion to the UK economy each year not a bad figure to gain a slice of!
A career in hairdressing can offer you a world of opportunities. Successful hairdressers can take their pick from the many top jobs - preparing supermodels for the catwalk, joining the team of a magazine for a fashion shoot or tending the locks of the rich and famous. Top names like Trevor Sorbie, Charles Worthington and Nicky Clarke show just how exciting a career in hairdressing can be.
Andrew Collinge highlights exactly what you can achieve. Not only is he 1997 British Hairdresser of the Year, he is in demand for TV and fashion work, produces his own products which sell throughout world, travels from country to country demonstrating his techniques and runs his own teaching Academy. He says, "Hairdressing is one of the most exciting careers you can choose."
As with any career you have to work hard if you want to be the best. But unlike careers that demand a university degree you can train as a hairdresser at your own pace by undertaking the National or Scottish Vocational Qualification (NVQ/SVQ) in Hairdressing, the only nationally hairdressing qualification recognised in the UK. You can even earn money as you learn if you become a Modern Apprentice or National Trainee.
Not too keen on the idea of hairdressing but still want to travel and work with people?
Then try beauty therapy?
An NVQ/SVQ in Beauty Therapy could be your passport to work on cruise liners, in health spas or clubs throughout the world or to lecture at colleges. You may even want to specialise in a particular area such as aromatherapy, electrolysis or make-up artistry.
Imagine being a make-up artist for film or TV, or working on photo shoots for magazines. The BBC insists that all their make-up artists have a Level 3 in Beauty.
Therapy, but it' s a very competitive business and you have to be prepared to work to stand out from the crowd.
As with hairdressing, beauty therapists also have the opportunity to become a salon owner or manager in a relatively short space of time. Or you can work from home as a freelancer, providing a service for people in their own homes.
Another exciting and fast-growing area of the beauty industry is nail technology. New nail salons are opening up all the time and nail technicians are greatly in demand. Nail technology includes all nail treatments from basic natural manicures through to artificial nails, nail art and 3D nail art, and can also incorporate jewellery for nails.
Your first step into any of these careers is to gain an NVQ/SVQ qualification. NVQ/SVQs were introduced to provide you with the skills needed for the workplace. Whilst a university degree focuses on your academic capabilities NVQ/SVQs ensure that you can perform the tasks relevant to your vocation safely and correctly.
You will learn extra skills, such as communication and information technology, as well as gaining an NVQ Level 3 in Hairdressing when you have finished. A National Traineeship offers the same advantages for NVQ Level 2.
If you want to be a nail technician you could complete the relevant nail technology units within NVQ/SVQ Levels 2 and 3 in Beauty Therapy without having to complete the entire qualification. Then you can be out building your career and earning money in no time.
So if you're looking for an exciting future and want an alternative to university look at the hairdressing and beauty therapy industries. However, if you don't want the opportunity to travel the world, pamper people on cruise liners, work in TV and film sets or provide the inspiration for magazine shoots then you might as well just go back to bed!
For further information about a career in hairdressing or beauty therapy please see:
Hairdressing and Beauty Industry Authority: www.habia.org/
Contributed by: Sharon Brigen, Communications Manager, Hairdressing and Beauty Industry Authority
