Acquiring knowledge for career development has always been sought after. Attaining a degree or certification can ultimately lead to higher pay, better work/life balance opportunities, and security. This can also be said in regard to the beauty industry. Furthering your education and learning a new skill can lead to several benefits that will bring value to any salon that you decide to work for. Here are a few things to keep in mind when considering enrollment in a class or training course.
Is it the Right Service?
Not all trendy services are right for you to learn. Case in point:
Mandy is a gifted up and coming lash artist who is highly motivated to gain clientele. She is heavily interactive on social media, and she keeps up with all of the latest trends in the beauty world. One day, as Mandy is scrolling on Instagram, she sees a famous lash artist that she follows post about a new service. The social media influencer announces that she is about to start offering men's beard extensions soon, and she has a waiting list that's booked out for months. Out of sheer impulse, Mandy finds a beard extension installation class to enroll in. After she learns the skill, she is happy to announce that she is opening her books for this service soon. To her surprise, nobody books the service. Mandy feels uninspired to continue in the beauty industry, and gives up on her dreams.
This may seem like an extreme scenario, but surprisingly there are situations that occur like this all of the time. Just because one person is having major success with a certain service, doesn't mean that you will have that same level of success. There may be factors contributing to their success that you don't see. In the scenario above, the influencer's success could be tied to her location, large network, or demand for the service within her target demographic. Always do your research concerning the demand for a particular service in your immediate area before you spend thousands to enroll in a training course. Being the only person offering a service in your area could be risky. You could gain a multitude of clients because of exclusivity, or you could struggle because of the public's lack of knowledge on the service being offered.
Is the Trainer Credible?
With the rise in demand of services like henna and lash extensions, come opportunities for "trainers" to capitalize off of the eagerness of baby artists. Don't fall into the trap of enrolling in the cheapest/shortest class that some trainers have to offer. The phrase "you get what you pay for" can definitely be applied to these situations. Most trainers with a lack of knowledge and no experience will charge less to simply get in as many people as possible. A credible trainer may be more expensive, but the wealth of knowledge given to incoming students will undoubtedly increase the potential for career growth. Other red flags to look for when searching for a trainer include, but aren't limited to:
- No Website
- No Training Manuals
- No Reviews
- Training Out of a House or Apartment
- Lack of Certifications Obtained by the Trainer
Having a Plan in Place
It's imperative to have a solid plan in place before investing hundreds/thousands of dollars into training courses. The plan should be centered around the question: How will the learned service complement your business model? If you're looking to work for a specific salon, make sure that the salon will support the service that you are trying to offer. If you're solo-dolo, make sure that your building/suite is up to code with your local health department/cosmetology board. Once this is established, you should implement a plan on how you will gain practice to perfect the newly-founded skillset. Clients will not just fall out of the sky; therefore, you should have a solid marketing strategy in mind. As you continue to give good service to more clientele, you will inevitably begin to build a solid reputation as the go-to person for the service that you learned.
All in all, learning new techniques/services can yield high returns if approached with the right mindset. Investing in furthering education should build excitement and anticipation, but don't be discouraged if you invest into learning a skill that you find out isn't for you in the end. In some cases, it will take longer periods of time to find the right services to add to your repertoire. Slow progress is still progress, and you should be proud of being more knowledgeable than you were in the past.
That's all of my thoughts for today! Stay blessed, and be on the lookout for the next post!
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