Continuing Education - Why your career depends on it.
For a Nail Technician, the path begins with education. In this post I will go over the topic of ongoing education and why you should invest in it throughout your entire career. Read more about what types of courses are available and what benefits training will bring you.
““There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” ”
We'll start with the differences between beginner or entry level education and continuous education.
Your first training is the foundation of your career. It should focus on the mastery of foundation techniques, namely knowing your products, shaping and filing and the basic knowledge of the foundation concepts to become a beauty industry professional such as anatomy, health and safety, business, law and regulations, professional conduct, etc.. This training is often connected to a licensing system or a recognizable diploma that will open up the doors of the professional beauty industry as a career.
Every single training you take after that will allow you to build upon that foundation. Continuous education will come in several options:
Brand conversion courses
1:1 training sessions
Training in a new system/product
Technique training (art, shapes, trends, etc.)
Business training
These will all come in handy to deepen your knowledge of your craft, to make sure your technique is good, to ensure you are up to date with new trends, products or techniques. Most importantly, continuing your education and training will ensure that you are the best at what you do. Your basic training will only get you started in the industry. It is what you do next that makes a difference, and allows you to stand out.
Training, however, costs money, and you are probably thinking that you would love to do some training, but just can't spare the cash. Maybe, you're even thinking that there is no way in hell you'll sacrifice your glitter money for a training session. Here's why you should:
- It's not wasting or spending money if it is used in training - It's an investment:
- You will get your return on investment by adding more skills to your repertoire or adding a new system. A broader skill set also attracts new clients.repertoire, or adding a new system.
- If you take a file and shaping class you're likely to get faster and able to build in more appointments in your day.
- If you are better at what you do, you can revisit your prices and charge more for your time and your craft.
- It helps you network - you will surely find likeminded individuals you can use to build your professional network and your professional support group.
- It's a sure way to check your skill level and ensure your practices remain safe and compliant with health, safety and industry standards. We often fall into bad habits as most of us work alone in a studio, mobile or at home. There is no other way to understand wether your practices are up to par.
- It is so much fun! That feeling you get when you really nail something. That warm fuzzy feeling of learning something new and being proud of one's development and creation - is priceless.
It still is, a big investment, and as any investment it requires planning. So how do you brace for it? You plan it! Make a list you regularly update with areas you need to improve on and new techniques you want to discover. Make a parallel list of available courses near you (check brand's up coming training dates, follow educators on social media, etc.). Lastly, start to budget. Try to understand how many sets/services you'll nee to do to make that work, start working towards that goal.
“One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.”
What do you have planned for this year? Let me know in the comments below.