They say “beauty is pain” but have you ever considered the pain we go through standing on our feet for several hours trying to make sure that you look your best when you walk out the door. It takes a lot to do what we do as a hairstylist. There is a lot to do in cosmetology but my interest is hair, I’ve always loved doing other people’s hair. I know that there is a lot of people trying to pursue this career so that means I have to step up my game and have a plan B just in case it doesn’t work out for me cause Hairstyling is not for everyone, but I know that I can do it cause I love seeing the smiles on people when they see themselves when they get their hair done, I love working with hair and I don’t mind standing for several hours.
To become a licensed cosmetologist you need to complete a state-approved cosmetology program that lasts at least nine months to be approved as a certified cosmetologist even though some positions will allow a high school degree. Depending on what part of cosmetology you do will determine how long you’re gonna stay in a certain program.
Important skills you need to become a successful cosmetologist is People skills being able to interact with your customers in a friendly manner no matter what conditions you’re in, Physical stamina being able to stand on your feet is a good skill to have because most of the time you’ll be standing for hours, Tidiness is very important because if your work area is not tidy then no one’s gonna want to let you take care of them because in their mind your work represents you as a person and as a hairstylist.Being able to handle different attitudes is very important you have to learn how to have self-control and not go every time a potential customer says something about you or your work because if you have a short temper there is a very high chance that a lot of people will not want to associate with you when they complain about something they want to feel like they are being heard and they want to feel respected.
About 43% of hairstylists and cosmetologists and 72% of barbers are self-employed, which typically means they work a lot of hours, promoting their salons, shops, and businesses(Sonia) Being a hairstylist is a full-time job but it can also be a part-time job if you are self-employed and choose to work fewer hours.
The median hourly pay last year for hairdressers and hairstylists was $11.89. Hairstylist gets paid an average of $21,650 per year, but you can make more or less depending on if you’re working at your home or if you’re working at a hair salon, or the hours you work and the number of clients you have.
Employment of barbers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists is projected to grow 8 percent from 2018 to 2028, faster than the average for all occupations “Occupational Outlook Handbook”. Even though they say that employment is projected to grow 8 percent, I feel like a lot more people will learn to do their hair using youtube tutorial videos, but even though you know how to style your hair doesn’t necessarily mean you know how to maintain and take care of your natural hair and that’s where we come in, that’s why as long as you’re good at what you’re doing in the cosmetology world you will always have a spot in the cosmetology world.
There are a lot of drawbacks to being a hairstylist and one of them is unknown income, not knowing if you’re gonna make enough money because you make money based on how many clients you have not considering no-shows, another drawback is having to share some of your products with your customers because as a hairstylist you should have some products with you it doesn’t matter if you’re working at home or in a salon. Dealing with different personalities is also a drawback because some customers can be really rude without fully knowing what the situation is and you have to know how to deal with those types of situations.
There is a lot of hair salons in charlotte which means there is a lot of opportunities but it also means that there is a lot of competition out there but I can’t focus too much on the competition, I have to focus on what I’m gonna do to make it for myself. I already have some beauty schools that I’m looking at to attend after high school I also plan on attending college to study finance so I can know what I’m gonna do to the money I make to be successful because a lot of people don’t know how to manage their money which can hurt their career, this way I’m one step ahead of the game.
I’m pretty sure you get the point about the struggles of being a hairstylist because there is a lot more I didn’t mention but I think I have enough for you to get the point. I know I’m gonna do my best to be the best that I can be because I don’t mind standing for long hours to do what I love to do and I also don’t mind sharing my products with my customers and dealing with different people with different attitudes is not a problem because I love helping people and I know how to control myself in dramatic situations.
