I want that job! jack merrick thirlway

Jack Merrick Thirlway works at Neville Hair & Beauty in London where he tends to the tresses of celebrities as well as working backstage at London Fashion Week. When did you decide you wanted to be a hairdresser? Eight years ago Where did you train? I was lucky enough to do my training at Neville’s. Surrounded by supportive people, I was able to learn a lot very quickly. What was your first job like? Before hairdressing I was working as a sales assistant at Gap Kids in Canary Wharf. I love talking and communicating with people so for me, it wasn’t a bad job at all. However as I could never fold shirts the correct way I think the management would probably say I wasn’t the best! Why did you want to work at Neville? For me, Neville’s is an amazing salon. The way the business grows and the talent is nurtured there is unbelievable. We have some incredible talent at the salon and most of the stylists have been trained there under mentors like Stephen Low, Cristian Pignatta and, of course, Neville himself. What do you find inspiring about working at Neville? I would definitely say how diverse the staff are. There are around 60 staff in the main salon and every single person has their own creative skills. Neville and Elena have grown their business so much that we are now deeply involved in fashion weeks all around the word, as well as editorial shoots and travelling for private clients. How important is it for you to work with a salon that understands your work outside of day-to-day clients? The salon is really supportive of my ambitions. They understand where I want to be and which direction I want my career to go. For eight years they have been completely behind me, guiding me onto the most beneficial path. We have a complete understanding of each other. What’s been the highlight of your career so far? Making it into the prestigious L’Oreal Professionnel ID artist programme last year was a great achievement. What’s your next career goal? My next career goal is to progress in every aspect of my work from onstage skills to session work. I don’t think as a stylist in a changing industry we can ever stop learning. We can’t believe we know everything, as fashion is continually evolving; we need to always be at the top of our game! What piece of advice would you give your student self. Hard work really pays off. If you put the work in early on in your career, it absolutely pays off as you progress. You can never practise too much or learn enough. Take every opportunity to learn from senior hairdressers around you. Looking for your next career move? Take a look at HJi Jobs for all of the latest hair and beauty job opportunities!