When you were young, you liked playing “beauty salon” with your friends. You gave each other cute hairstyles, played with makeup and painted your nails. Now, you’re interested in learning how to share your love of beauty with others. If you recognize yourself in this description, you might find a lot of job satisfaction by training to become a manicurist.
The best training opportunities
There are many ways to get the training to become a manicurist. Vocational high schools and community colleges usually offer diploma programs in esthetics with special courses for manicure/pedicure technicians. Private schools also offer these kinds of programs. In both cases, doing an internship is a critical part of the program. Contact colleges near you to find out about all the possibilities in your area.
The right qualifications
When looking around at training programs, the most important thing to keep in mind is that you’ll want to finish with a diploma or certificate that is recognized by the industry, especially if you plan to be self-employed. The biggest and best distributers of beauty products typically require you to have some training before they’ll sell you their products. Many of them also offer career-enhancing training and professional updates on new market trends.
What do clients look for in a good nail technician?
A manicurist works with many clients every day. It’s important to know how to pamper them expertly and give a nail treatment worthy of the best salons. Here are some of the qualities you need to have in order to be a good nail technician:
- You enjoy working with the public and being attentive to people
- You are careful, gentle and patient
- You have good eyesight and dexterity
- You have some artistic talent for painting nails
So many career options
By all appearances, the beauty industry is recession-proof. That means training to become a manicurist could pay off nicely in the long run. When you have your certificate, you can put your talents to good use with an employer or start your own business. Perhaps you’ll launch a manicure service in a beauty salon that doesn’t yet have one since salons are always looking for ways to diversify their services. It may be possible to become their employee, or you could rent some space on their premises.
Spas and health centres are also ideal places to practice your art. If you choose to start up your own business, it’s worth noting that mobile manicure services are increasingly in demand. You could travel around to your clients’ homes with your manicure toolkit and be paid for it. If you have more glamorous ambitions, you might want to try your luck as a manicurist for the TV and movie industry.
If you’re passionate about putting your best hand forward, then you can’t go wrong by training to become a manicurist. Hands down, it’s the best way to strengthen your career prospects and do something you love.
