My hairdressing apprenticeship - misha mclean

On day three of National Apprenticeship Week, Misha McLean, assistant at Rainbow Room International Uddingston and current British Hairdressing Business Awards  Junior of the Year talks about her apprenticeship What attracted you to an apprenticeship in hairdressing? I loved the idea of learning on the job. I am an extremely artistic and creative person and love working with people. There are so many opportunities as a career (salon stylist, educator, salon owner, fashion/editorial work) and an apprenticeship helps you decide where you fit in. Did your school encourage you in this career choice? Yes, I had a salon in school where basic training in hairdressing was offered as a subject which was a great platform for me at the beginning of my hairdressing career. I also had a great art department which offered encouragement in any artistic or creative career you wished to pursue. Could schools do more to promote hairdressing as a career choice? Yes definitely! I feel sometimes the emphasis is on exam results – all about percentages and grades on a page, but they should focus more on what individuals are interested in and give more encouragement and help to explore options for careers in the creative industry. Where did you complete your apprenticeship? At our Rainbow Room International Academy and Rainbow Room International Uddingston Salon. What were the most positive aspects of your apprenticeship? On-the-job training with real experiences and real clients, a sense of responsibility. I love being surrounded by talented, successful people who are passionate about what they do – they are inspiring, and they make me want to achieve similar success. It is a real privilege to work with and be trained by the best, including Suzie McGill and Dylan Brittain current Scottish Hairdressers of the Year. I like being exposed to inner workings of the hairdressing industry and have so many more opportunities to get involved with like photoshoots, hair shows, and seminars. It is always a great feeling knowing that by doing job well you can make someone feel good about themselves. What were the biggest challenges? Overcoming frustration when not getting things perfect at the first attempt. Learning it's ok to make mistakes in which by being surrounded by stylists help you learn and correct your mistakes. I started off as quiet person and feel that this apprenticeship has helped my confidence grow, and have grown in all areas of my life, not just my career. How did you make the most of your apprenticeship? By taking every opportunity thrown at me and to not be afraid of making mistakes. I wanted to get involved as much as possible whether that was with the Art Team, assisting on courses & seminars, or assistant shows - every experience is valuable to me. I always asked for help when needed – it’s the only way you'll improve as a emerging stylist and by taking creative risks and trying new styles pushing my boundaries. How has your career progressed since you qualified – what exciting things have you done? I am now involved with the Rainbow Room International art team, assisting at seminars, shows, events and photoshoots. I have just finished my apprenticeship and I am undertaking eight months of intensive salon training at the Uddingston salon with the inspiring salon owners Suzie and Sam McGill and I intend to take every exciting opportunity that comes my way. What advice would you offer to a salon owner on how to make sure they keep their apprentices motivated and stay on as a long-term member of staff? Show the assistants how fun and rewarding hairdressing can be as a career and a sense of achievement. Get assistants involved and give them a chance to be creative like assistant shows, photoshoots, and watching seminars. Use a variety of training methods for instance; different courses, videos, live models and sally heads. Always have fun with team and to make the assistants feel part of the team and give them some sort of responsibility.