Is moving for your career right for you?

Thinking about moving for your career? We spoke to two successful stylists - one who moved to London, and one who stayed in their hometown - for their verdict.

"I stayed at home and made a success!"

Leah Walton is a technical director at The Colour Room in Stockport. Where are you from originally? I was born and brought up in Stockport, so I really have never ventured away from my home town so far! Where did you train? At Skills Solutions in Manchester. What was your first job? My first job was as a trainee hairdresser at a small local salon in Reddish, called Courtney's. Did you ever feel any pressure to move to London to develop your career? I’ve never felt the slightest pressure to move to London to further my career. The Colour Room is a salon which embraces everything that the national hairdressing industry has to offer, in the same way as London salons do. We are lucky in Stockport that we are on the main Manchester to Euston train line, so there are trains to London every half an hour and the journey is only two hours. If you book your trains in advance, you can get some great deals. I also have a student rail card which keeps the cost right down. I love my trips to London for events and seminars, etc. I settle down on the train with my note book and my lap top, and get lots of work done - often coming up with my best ideas in the process! Do you feel you have to be more proactive to make a name for yourself outside of London? You definitely need to be well organised and plan everything to the nth degree. When you are attending shows, events, photoshoots and seminars away from your salon, you need to plan your travel times and arrangements and possibly organise hotel accommodation. Then, you need to ensure you have everything you need for the task in hand. My best friend is my ZUCA bag in which I can pack every piece of kit and equipment I need for whatever event I’m involved in and, because of its great design, is relatively easy to lug around.

You also need to think about what steps you can take to boost your personal profile within the industry. Joining the Fellowship for British Hairdressing and supporting all its events is a great start.

Entering all the industry competitions and awards is another important area. Winning Junior of the Year in the British Hairdressing Business Awards in when I was just seventeen was the perfect first step and spring board for my hairdressing career as I benefited from all the PR coverage of the awards and used the win to motivate me and give me a stepping stone towards my next career goal and challenge.

What advice would you give to young hairdressers who feel under pressure to move to London? I would say that if it is something you really want to do, if't is the right move for you and the opportunity is right, then go for it! But don’t do it if you have doubts, or because you feel you have to be in London to enjoy an exciting hairdressing career. Very few of us spend every day of our working life at events – so it’s no hardship to hop on a train when the need arises. Being 'up North' in Stockport has never held me back, but if I suddenly got a burning desire to live in London, I'd find a way to make it work. How easy was it to find a salon that offered you the training and support needed to support your career as it grew? When I started out, I worked for a salon in Manchester which was great with training but didn’t engage in any of the industry competitions and awards which I wanted to do. I researched salons in my area that did, and came across The Colour Room. I was lucky enough to be offered a job and the rest is history! I have progressed from Junior of the Year to the F.A.M.E. Team and the ghd Art Team, and lots of things in between. I have enjoyed international travel and have worked with some of the most iconic people in hairdressing. I have been incredibly fortunate to receive all the support and encouragement I have from The Colour Room owners, Sean Tetlow and Claire Smith. But I have also had to work incredibly hard to achieve what I have. There have been times when I have gone for months on end without a day off in order to achieve my goals. Nothing has come easy. We have a saying in the salon that the harder I work, the luckier I get! What is your next career goal? My next biggy is to do my very own photoshoot, putting together a collection to enter for Newcomer of the Year in HJ's British Hairdressing Awards. My dream would be to be able to do this with no limits on cost or the choice of photographer and models I can use. Maybe one day!

"I moved to London to make a name for myself."

Petros Mairoudhiou is a top stylist at Trevor Sorbie. He is originally from Coventry. Where did you train? Toni and Guy Coventry When did you decide to move to London? Almost seven years ago. Why did you decide to move to London? I thought it was important to further my career, develop my skills and gain more knowledge at a London salon. Do you think you would have had the opportunities you’ve had if you’d stayed in your hometown? Success comes from taking every opportunity. After a lot of careful thought and consideration, I knew that being London-based would open up more opportunities for me as a stylist. It's a time to learn from lots of creative people and also grow my network as a professional. Was it difficult to start again in a new city? Absolutely. I still miss my home now, but I was fortunate enough to be surround by such a welcoming team that they made the move that little bit easier. Do you plan to stay in London for the rest of your career or could you see yourself returning to your hometown? Life isn't a textbook. You never know where you're going to be from one week to the next. I'm open to whatever my future holds, as long as I can continue to learn and grow as a person and professional, then I don't think you should close the door.