Hairdressing education careers: training others in the industry

Christy Blake, UK education manager for Joico comments on hairdressing careers. What would you say to someone thinking of training as a hairdresser who is put off because they don’t view it as a career? Becoming a hairdresser is just the beginning! There are so many options and different avenues you can go down as you experience grows. You can specialise in cutting, colouring or extensions for example. You can go into education or sales. The possibilities are literally endless and there is money to be made. Don’t listen to anyone that tells you different. How did you enter hairdressing and what was the attraction for you? I wanted to be a hairdresser for as long as I can remember. There was nothing else I really wanted to do. I just loved doing peoples hair from such a young age. I used to cut off all my dolls hair and get into trouble with my mum. I remember going to the salon with my mum and just loving the environment, being around people, it’s such a social job. What were your first impressions of the industry and the possibilities open to you? I saw hairdressing as quite a glamorous career. I love fashion and makeup and they are all part of it. Back then I thought I just wanted to work in a salon. But once I qualified and did that, I began to see the possibilities and I was hungry to do more. When I was training no one really told me about career growth outside of a salon environment. How did your career progress? My career progressed quite quickly because a few months after I qualified I knew education was the route I wanted to take so I was always focused on that. I always wanted to take the next step, I was never complacent. Once I started educating I wanted to become senior educator and so on. I managed to work my way to my current role of UK education manager, and who knows what the next step will be.  How did you start to work towards achieving your goals? Be focused on what you want to do and the best you can be in your role. If you are competent in your role you will stand out from the rest and if you work for a good company, they will see the potential in you and nurture it. That way progression will happen naturally.  What advice would you offer someone looking to carve a long-term, exciting career in hairdressing? Education, education and more education! You never stop learning. Hairdressing is such a fast- moving industry, there’s always something new to learn. Never get complacent. Take every opportunity you can. If you get the chance to assist on a photoshoot but you don’t want to because it’s on your day off do it! It’s all experience and these are the best learning opportunities.