December 2015

Starting an apprenticeship is a huge step, your signing up to a minimum of three years of coffee making, shampoo scrubbing, studying, cleaning and training. All with a smile on your face and for minimum wage.

Choosing an apprenticeship over studying full time can save you loads of time and money however.  Your getting hands on work and your are building relationships with clients and people in your industry. Basically, your getting a head start and getting paid to do so.. While your friends are studying at uni and paying to be there.

This post is directed at a hairdressing apprenticeship, because obviously that’s what I have experience in, but I’m sure the guidelines would be very similar in other roles.

So here’s what I learned from my  hairdressing apprenticeship;

1. Meal prep! Just because your working hard does not give you a free pass to eat junk food all day long. Fast food is quick and easy, and so many hairdressers end up eating it almost daily because there are days where you won’t get a proper break.  Instead, meal prep on the weekends and take loads of healthy snacks so you can eat on the go. (My favourite was chopped up celery with peanut butter)
2. Keep organised. Take your kit to work and leave what you need, there. The amount of times I took my scissors home for a haircut and left them there!! If your going to your tools home, make sure you put them back in your bag straight after you use them.
3. Utilize your friends. Your going to need about a million models so have a good group of friends you can rotate around for cuts and colours. Also, post status’ on Facebook, someone should make a group page for this by the way!
4. Work towards small goals. Your apprenticeship will normally take a minimum of three years. So enjoy it while it lasts. Get really good at small goals like perfecting a big bouncy blow wave, too many apprentices want to be the best NOW. But to be the best, you need to focus on all the small goals in between. So set yourself some small goals every month and work at them continuously.
5. Speaking of goals- Create yourself a bucket list. Having goals outside of your apprenticeship and setting some longer term goals will help you to focus on what you are working towards.
6. Get pretty dam good at that shampoo! Clients love a good scalp scrubbing, so if your wanting future requests put everything into that shampoo!
7. Just because your pay is pretty shitty now doesn’t mean it will always be. But also be grateful you are being paid to learn. This is a pretty rare thing today and shouldn’t be taken for granted.
8. Use your brain like your time. Don’t waste it. Absorb every bit of information from the people you are working under. If you are working under some pretty amazing stylists then become their “shadow” offer to shampoo for them, clean up after them and assist with anything they need. You have an awesome opportunity to learn from some amazing people and be paid to do so!
9. But also, don’t be a doormat. This one took a while to sink in for me. Just because your an apprentice doesn’t give people the right to treat you like crap. Learn to stick up for yourself and do it in a polite manner. If someone is consistently picking on you- talk to your boss. If it is your boss doing this, try to arrange a meeting with them and if it’s still not being resolved then think about applying else where. You are a catch and once you get started in the industry, it’s pretty easy to find a salon that will treat you how you should be treated. No one deserves to be bullied.
10. Sign up for weekend classes. I had a pretty great boss who signed me up (and paid) for any classes I wanted on the weekends. Through this I got to learn extra skills, meet new people and network with others in the industry. If your in New Zealand, I would suggest the Redken Cut it Classes, I learnt so much from these classes.
11. Confidence is key. Another thing I seriously struggled with. Building confidence is how you win over new clients. They won’t trust you if you don’t trust yourself. In saying that, make sure you practice day and night, 24-7 before you start working on clients. Being pushed onto the floor too soon can really knock your confidence back so make sure you know exactly what your doing before you get to work on clients.
12. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself! It’s hair- it’s going to grow back and sometimes we need to make mistakes in order to learn and grow.
13. Go to class. Something that used to bother me was the amount of students that would skip tech. It’s once a week and it’s only for about 10 weeks a year! Unless you enjoy resitting your assessments, go to class.
14. Learn skills outside of your apprenticeship. The truth is, you may end up changing your mind about hairdressing. In fact a good portion of apprentices do. So learn all you can from it AND some. The great thing about being an apprentice is you’re learning exceptional customer service skills, keeping up with trends, creativity and your using your brain to think outside the square all the time. So if you decide hairdressing isn’t for you- there is so much more available to you!
15. Mastering that perfect coffee and making it fast! You’ll get pretty good at this. Not only for your clients but for yourself, and yes you are going to need it in the morning, sometimes throughout the whole day.
16. The salon is your new home, get comfy. When you start your apprenticeship your basically signing your life away. Get ready for 10+ hour days and say good bye to weekends.
17. Make sure you have a good relationship with your colleagues. Your going to be spending a lot of time with them after all. Having good relationships makes for a better work environment and you can then ask each other for favours. Like covering each others asses when you turn up to work hung over.
18. Yes, every Saturday- someone will turn up hung over.. It is a salon after all and drinking is how we unwind. It’s just a matter of time until it’s your turn. (Just turn up showered with fresh make up on please)
19. Don’t turn up to work still drunk. I may or may not be speaking from experience. Just don’t.
20. Hair shows are THE place to score yourself some free products. Go to those, the goodie bags are worth it.
21. If you do get the chance to have a lunch break, try to get away from the salon. Even if it’s just for a half hour. This way no one can pull you off lunch to shampoo and you come back to work feeling refreshed.
22. Ask for help! If your running late with a client or your having a really difficult time finishing one of your tasks- it can’t hurt to ask someone for a hand. Everyone knows that a salon only runs smoothly if everyone is working together as a team.
23. Come to work well groomed. Every day. From Day One! This is the hair industry and it’s all about how you look! People will ALWAYS treat you better when you look like you take care of yourself. Especially in this industry. When you walk into a salon, do you want your stylist to look well groomed and professional or sloppy with messy hair and a bad colour stain over the front of their shirt?
24. Leggings are not pants.
25. Wash your hands before you eat lunch. Working in a salon is pretty dirty. Chances are you’ve just finished washing your clients scalp, or sweeping the floor or emptying the trash and now your about to use your hands to hold that sandwich…. and you are putting in your mouth,,,,? Stahhp. Go wash your hands please. No one wants a sandwich with a side of your clients scalp. Or do you…..
26. You are going to work late, yeah on Friday nights too. Something I learnt pretty fast is that you never have a “set in stone” finish time. If your needed to work later, you are going to be working later. No questions asked (unless you have something really important on)
27. Work quickly and visibly. You want that reputation of a hard working apprentice, it’ll pay off if your colleagues are impressed by you so think outside the square and do things that aren’t asked of you, Show your initiative and everyone will love you for it.
28. Be hungry. If your passionate and want to grow, you will.
29. Have a great attitude and leave your issues at the door. Because that is what is going to make your day better.
30. Keep out of the drama. People will talk shit, let them. You don’t want to be known as a gossip.
31. Your going to become incredibly high maintenance. Seriously, your going to be colouring your hair like every four weeks at least. Because, who wants the same hair colour for more then four weeks? Experiment away, this is the only role where it’s perfectly acceptable to rock up with 5 different shades of pink in your hair.
32. Quit stressin’ Enjoy the ride, have fun and don’t take your free education for granted!

Some of my favourite apprenticeship moments

Do you know someone starting an apprenticeship? Share this post with them and leave me any tips below if you think I may have missed something!