So as many of you may or may not know, I work for a company called SuperCuts. Say what you want about chain places, but the store I work at gives some of the best haircuts in my town. I've done a better haircut for $16, than I've seen someone at the last salon I worked at give for $40. That really says something, not to mention, we do a good 75% military alone. I had my reservations about working for a company like SuperCuts when I was in school. I think the problem is, when you're in beauty school and they talk about the different types of salons, they almost drill it into your head that chain or corporate companies are bad and you should aim to work at a "high end" place right out of the gate. Point blank...IF YOU GO INTO A HIGH END PLACE RIGHT OUT OF BEAUTY SCHOOL, YOU WILL NOT MAKE ANY MONEY. Most high end salons are appointment only, and the clients who are calling to make appointments, already have their stylist that they are comfortable going to. Without clientele, you have no income, and with no income, what's the point in working at all? Most successful hairdressers start off in smaller shops and work their way up, and the clients that they obtain along the way follow them from location to location, providing that they can afford a price change if there is one. Now I have seen the occasional exception. Another way of achieving your hours is to apprentice in a salon. When you apprentice, it's more hands on, the clients get to know you, and then they know your face. However if you walk into a high end salon right out of beauty school and expect to make a shit ton of money, you are in for a RUDE awakening.
My SuperCuts story:
I went into SuperCuts about 3 weeks before I graduated school. I went in on a Saturday with the intention of dropping off a resume, and maybe filling out an application. Mind you, I had about 10 other copies of my resume in the passenger seat of my car...it was a full day! I filled out the application, and Heather (the manager) had a spare second and took me in the conference room to talk. I had an impressive resume from small jobs like weddings and stuff I had done on the side so she offered me what they offer every stylist, a chance to give...an audition...if you will. Basically, get someone to come in and be your model, do a shampoo, cut, blow dry on them, and then the assess your work. So I did, the haircut came out great, my client was happy, and Heather offered me a job.
Supercuts is different than a lot of companies in a sense that they don't just throw you on the floor after hiring you and say "here's a haircut!" Supercuts actually has their own technique of cutting. It's not terribly different than the cuts they teach you in beauty school, but it's just a more efficient way of getting things done. To be honest, some of the techniques they teach us actually make more sense than what the instructors at the beauty school taught us. The training was a week long (Monday thru Friday 10-6) at the Middletown location. That store has a little training studio in the back, and they do all of the training for the DE stores there. So during training, they teach you a good 10 haircuts, make you do at least 30 haircuts I believe, before the week is over. Then usually by the Wednesday of the week, they can gage whether you pass and can start on the floor, or maybe need some work and need to be reception until the next month's class. So I passed, started on the floor that Monday; I'll admit, it was a little nerve wracking. I knew what I was doing, but it took me a good month/month and a half to become slightly more confident than I was. I wouldn't even touch a pair of clippers when I got out of beauty school, so the idea of doing mostly men's haircuts scared the living shit out of me. I can now officially say with confidence, I feel like I know more, and can cut hair BETTER than a lot of the girls I went to school with. That's not saying anything against any of them or the education we got at the school we all went to (well...partially...lol we won't go there) but it's because I feel like I was given the opportunity to better my skills right out of school. That's why Supercuts targets girls that are right out of school, they are the easiest ones to teach. We had a girl quit recently after 2 days because she had been doing hair for years, didn't like that we aren't full service, and didn't like that she had to change HER way of cutting hair to work for the company. I can actually say, I like that we aren't full service. Supercuts still specializes in cuts, color/hilights, and facial waxing. (Some SuperCuts actually are full service but it depends on the area) I like the idea of it only taking between 10 and 20 minutes to do a haircut. I look at it now and wonder why in the hell anyone needs an hour to just CUT someone's hair?! I have been with this company for what will be a year in October, in that time I feel as though I have learned so much more than I possibly could have if I had gone somewhere else and tried to rely on my beauty school skills. I have been rewarded for it as well, being that I was made a Shift Manager in June. So when people ask where I work and wrinkle there noses or make snide comments, I have quite a lot to stand up for actually.
So next time you need a haircut and are questioning where to get it done, try out a Supercuts, everyone goes through that education I was talking about and they actually know what their doing. The problem is, most chain places get a bad rep just because most DO NOT provide education for their stylists. Smart Styles in Walmarts for example, are old school 40+ stylists who cannot be taught different, or girls right out of school who still are relying on the beauty school taught ("90" or "180" haircuts) and the basis of any good business is word of mouth. A stylist fucks up someone's hair, and they're going to tell people. Anyway, so sorry that was so long winded! I applaud you if you read that whole thing and I'd buy you a drink for it if I could lol!
IF YOU ARE IN THE DOVER/CAMDEN, DE AREA AND ARE EITHER ABOUT TO GRADUATE BEAUTY SCHOOL OR ALREADY HAVE A PROFESSIONAL COSMETOLOGY LICENSE, SUPERCUTS IS HIRING FOR THE RT. 8 DOVER LOCATION OPENING OCTOBER 9TH. GREAT COMPANY TO WORK FOR, HOURLY WAGE, PLUS 10% COMMISSION ON RETAIL, PLUS TIP. IF INTERESTED, CALL OR STOP BY THE CAMDEN LOCATION NEXT TO THE WALMART, OR CALL 302-698-1988
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