How to get started as a top-notch barber

Peter Cranfield – aka Cut Throat Pete - has a burgeoning reputation as a top notch barber. We asked him how you too carve out a name and rewarding career as a barber. He warns it’s not by working 9-5…. "I started my career by getting an apprenticeship in a small suburban barbershop in Liverpool when I was 17. "The manager of the shop, who was my mentor, sent me to college one day a week to do a NVQ Level 2 Barbers course. I went for a month and sat in a class full of people who weren’t really interested, so I made the decidision to stop going and do my learning at the barbershop. "After I had been cutting hair for about six years, I decided I should go back to college to get my qualification, so I enrolled at a night school and qualified there. I then went on loads of American Crew day courses and classes to broaden my knowledge and techniques. "I learned so much at my first barbershop and stored everything up in my mind for when I opened my own shop. One thing I always knew that I did not want was the pressure to be churning out loads of cuts. I have always been a bit of a perfectionist and like to take my time, so the idea of doing haircuts in 10 minutes, one-in, one-out didn’t suit me. "One of the other valuable lessons I learned from a friend who runs a successful barbershop in Indiana, USA, was that customers don’t just come in for a hair cut, they come in for an experience. Personality and customer care can set you apart from somebody who is on the same level as you in terms of cutting skills. "I love being a barber. It is full of rewards and I get to meet some fantastic people, but it hasn’t always been this way. A few years ago I stopped enjoying it because I was turning up each morning to a queue of customers that didn’t go down all day. "I decided to change to appointments and it feels like I have been given a lifeline. I went back to loving work and I haven’t looked back since. "If you’re considering a career in barbering, one of the most important things is to be yourself – clients will visit you for your personality as much as cutting skills. I’ve found a fake laugh is a good attribute too as it makes clients feel relaxed! "You need to be prepared to start out by making tea and sweeping the floor to show whoever is teaching you that you are determined. Be prepared to put in massive amounts of hours too. Barbering can be a 9-5 job, but if you choose to go down that route you will only ever be middle of the road. "Barbering has opened many doors for me, doing photoshoots and guest spots and that can happen for you too, but you need to aim high, be ambitious and take the best bits of everyone you see and use them to your advantage."