People willing to pursue a career in hairdressing often get confused because they seem to get nowhere. This is because they are usually unaware that this field requires certain qualifications. In this article, we shall discuss all the required and recommended qualifications for hairdressers, so that you can easily start your professional career.
What are the Necessary Qualifications for Hairdresser?
To be a hairdresser you need to go through at least 3 fundamental stages, with each stage being a certification from your vocational school or apprenticeship. The required qualifications are as follows:
1st Certification – Entry level understanding
You have to enroll in your local vocational school or college to get this certification. In this process, you will learn all the basics of the hairdressing job. It should be noted that this certification is comparatively short and pretty much theoretical. In other words, there would be less practical work and training.
While you are pursuing the first certificate, you will learn basic tasks like washing and shampooing the hair, cleaning the place, maintaining registries, and serving the customers. However, where suitable, you will be given training regarding cutting and hairstyling too.
2nd Certification – Practical practice of hairdressing
This certificate will follow all the core studies of the first certification, but it will have a greater practical aspect to it. In other words, you will do these jobs practically in the training institutes and will interact with people on a professional level.
This level of certification is mandatory if you want an apprenticeship in a local salon. Without it, you cannot get a part-time job working there.
3rd Certification – Professional apprenticeship
If you want, you can continue your vocational training and get the 3rd certification through an institute, it is not a preferred step, although it may take just a year if you are working full-time.
The ideal mode of earning this certification is working as an apprentice in a salon. After the employer has noticed and acknowledged your 2 certificates, he may employ you part-time or full-time and make your work along with him/her. In this process, you will start with basic helper jobs but with the time you will be able to do harder tasks.
If you can work here part-time and do the vocational training side by side, it may further increase your credibility.
Additional Qualifications for Hairdressers:
Well, after you have gone through the first 3 certificates, you have become a professional hairdresser, but you can follow some additional steps to excel even further:
- Pursue the 4th certification and earn a diploma.
- Become a beauty expert.
- Become a sales expert.
- Be a mentor or a teacher in hairdressing.
Final Thoughts
There is no doubt that trying to earn qualifications to be a hairdresser is a pain, but it is for your own good. All the training and learning you shall go through, will ultimately make you a skilled professional, and you will be able to employ new and innovative techniques better. In other words, these qualifications not only help you increase your credibility, but also increases your chances of making a break-through in this field.
References and useful links:
- https://www.myskills.gov.au/courses/details?Code=SHB30416
- https://www.myskills.gov.au/courses/details?Code=SHB40216
- https://training.gov.au/Training/Details/SHB30416
- https://www.vu.edu.au/courses/certificate-iii-in-hairdressing-shb30416
- https://www.tafesa.edu.au/xml/profile/profile_OCC52.aspx
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