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Hairdressing

Choosing a career today can be a daunting prospect for school leavers.  Once upon a time the choice was simple; you stayed at school until you passed University Entrance, then you went on to graduate in arts or a profession; or you signed up for a apprentice trade training.  Either way, your future was fairly certain.  But today, faced with the overwhelming choice of training options, it’s little wonder that school-leavers become a little bewildered.  Fortunately, tertiary training schools like Auckland’s Cut Above Academy of Hairdressing and Make-up Artistry hold open days, or exhibit at education expos, where you can compare their training options, and find out about the government funding and student loan schemes.

Gael Thompson, director of Auckland’s Cut Above Academy, says that her team work hard to keep their courses relevant to industry standards, but at the same time make them exciting and fun.  “Hairdressers and make-up artists are essentially practical, and highly creative,” says Gael.  “We attract students who are great communicators and good with their hands, but who become bored by hours of theory.  They learn best if we show them, then let them try, and then tell them what they did after they have mastered the practical task.  First we have to catch the interet and then hold it.”

To become a successful hairdresser you need practical skills, combined with creative flair, technical knowledge, fashion awareness, personal style, effective communications, a positive attitude, and the ability to put it all together. With hard work and application you can graduate after two years as a competent hairdresser, capable of earning your place in a busy salon.