Fancy becoming a hairdressing teacher?

Teach Hairdressing?

Got an awesome teacher who is passionate about the industry and has got you completely inspired? Perhaps you’d like to follow in their footsteps and teach hairdressing. 

Here, ghd head of UK and Republic of Ireland Education Jo Roberston reveals how she became a hairdressing trainer.

“I was one of the first people to do the newly-revised YTS scheme in the late 80s, which meant I did on-the-job training at a small salon in my home town of Nuneaton while doing day release at college. I was paid £28.50 per week and £35 in the second year.

“I think your opportunities can be limited if you don’t live in a big city, but I managed to find a salon that thought big and was focused on customer service and great hairdressing so it was a good career option for me.

“There were plenty of times when I wasn’t sure I had made the right decision though; when my friends were out earning lots of money or having fun at university. I felt like I was missing out, but was passionate about hair and stuck with it.

“After two years at Contour Hair and Beauty I was head-hunted, but the new job didn’t work out. It taught me that the grass is not always greener, but it also made me move on so I don’t regret it.

“Eventually I went on to open my own salon. While I was running it, I was selected to become part of the ghd art team and that was the moment when everything I’d worked for suddenly became possible.

“Being part of the ghd art team gave me the platform to progress, grow my confidence, become part of the ghd education team and ultimately take on my current role.

“These days my job is to inspire and excite stylists, to interpret trends and break them down into easy techniques that other hairdressers can follow.

“I can be teaching in a salon to a small group of stylists or presenting seminars on stage so the key is to have great communication to make sure every participant is inspired.

“One of the biggest worries an educator has is that no-one enjoyed the session, so it’s really important to get lots of feedback. It usually reassures you, but can also sometimes give you things to work on or tweak.

“You have to stay current. It’s vital to follow trends and latest techniques. I’m always looking for new and better ways to teach and I keep my dolly head out and practice!

“I think having lots of salon experience is invaluable to my current role at ghd. Other things I’d recommend are getting an assessors award and getting as much teaching experience as possible. I sometimes used to shadow teachers at a local college on my days off for experience.

“If educating is for you, spend your time watching, listening and learning. Ask anyone and everyone if you can assist them and start writing your own education programmes. Then let everyone know about it. If you don’t shout about yourself, people won’t find out.”

Thank you Rachael Gibson for allowing this to be shared.