It’s all about becoming a hair dresser. You are all about hair and your friends know it as they will constantly ask you about the latest trends and styles that are in fashion for the year. Becoming a hairdresser was a simple decision for you to make. Yet what is involved when it comes to coiling locks and trimming tresses?
There are many opportunities in the hair salon business for both men and woman to make an honest living. With time and hands-on experience, you can find the perfect role in your local hair salon that you will enjoy for the rest of your professional career. Or even better still, you will develop the business skills required to open up your own salon.
Qualification to become a hairdresser
Most people will begin their career journey in hairdressing by becoming an apprentice at a hair salon or at a beauty college to obtain their hairdressing National Vocation Qualification (NVQ). The NVQ is a course assessment to evaluate the skills that you have learned while working with stylists and to determine your skill level. An assessor will check your log notes and test you on the hair styles and other tasks performed in the salon. Based on your knowledge, you will be placed at a NVQ level and the job position that you can pursue.
- NVQ Level 1: You are an apprentice training to become a hairdressing assistant
- NVQ Level 2: You are a junior stylist
- NVQ Level 3: Junior stylists and barbers will train to become a NVQ 3 senior stylist
- NVQ Level 4: Senior stylists may pursue NVQ 4 to show they have specialized training in barber or hair stylist techniques, such as color correction or technical salon management
Salary possibilities in hairdressing in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Salaries in England, Wales and Northern Ireland can vary based on the hair salon you work at, the NVQ level of your skills and your age. If you are just learning about hairdressing as an apprentice or have made it up to junior stylist, you may earn minimum wage based on your age, although the salon can offer more. Senior stylists in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have typically earned €9.63 per hour in 2015.
You also have the opportunity to earn a commission along with base pay depending on the amount you earn or the number of steady clients you bring in. The salon may set a minimum commission amount limit as you will be paid when earning more than the set amount. You can also get a 5% to 15% commission if you sell certain retail products that the salon stocks for customers. Lastly, if your hairdressing services impress the customer, they may pay you an extra tip.
As you increase your skills and knowledge over the years, you may earn a yearly salary of £52,000. Famous hairdressers may even earn over £100,000.
Pursue Your passion as a hairdresser
Just like any other career choice, you have to be passionate and dedicated in your work. You will also have to evaluate the hair salon and determine if their pay and commission fits into your current and future profession choices so you can have a successful career. So pursue the job position that you desire and bring the latest hair fashion trends to happy customers. Becoming a hair dresser is in your own hands.
Marrying technology with becoming a hair dresser
You are perhaps one of the current and next wave of apprentice hair dressers and one this is for sure, you are very comfortable with new technologies and as such will be be adept as using these technologies to your advantage. Be it Instagram or Facebook for posting great looking images or writing about the trials and tribulations of being an apprentice hair dresser on the salon blog. This technology alertness goes all the way to the point of sale systems that are now available. The Clover ePOS is a cloud based point of sale ecosystem that has a multitude of connected apps so that you can mange a number of your salon services direct from the point of sale system itself. Connected directly to your accounting software, it makes running and managing your own salon so much easier.
