- The economy is messed up.
- Unemployment is the highest since the Great Depression.
- People are protesting in the streets.
- There are natural disasters everywhere...
Well, you get it. It is even more interesting because when we try and guess what the future will bring, we naturally look back to the past.
- Why are people unemployed?
- Why is the economy messed up?
- Why am I not successful?
These aren't really difficult questions. People WITH skills are needed in business and people WITHOUT skills are not needed. Not all of these skills are technical skills, many are just good people skills, showing up at work skills, and showing up on time skills. Pretty simple huh?
One would think so, huh? We had two days just this month where TWO hairdressing student interviews no-showed their appointments, one after another. One was actually pissy on the phone as if we inconvenienced her by calling her half an hour AFTER her interview as supposed to happening to find out where she was, because she "has a lot of stuff going on". We've had numerous no-shows for interviews this year. So how are these people going to remain OFF the unemployed list? How are these people going to stay OFF the "people with no skills" list? The simple answer is, they're not. This is why we require an online entrance exam. This is why we insist on a personal interview with each applicant. We are actively weeding out those people who can not show up at work, and those with pissy attitudes, and those with no ambition, and those that can't read, write and understand the English language. Quite simply, these people (in their present condition) are not going to make it in the beauty industry, and frankly, any other industry. If they can't even show up for an interview that THEY made, they're certainly not going to show up for work.
I guess it's because many people are confused as to what we actually do. We offer vocational training.
vo·ca·tion·al [voh-key-shuh-nl] adjective
1. of, pertaining to, or connected with a vocation or occupation: a vocational aptitude.
2. of, pertaining to, or noting instruction or guidance in an occupation or profession chosen as a career or in the choice of a career:
a vocational counselor.vo·ca·tion·al [voh-key-shuh-nl] adjective
1. of, pertaining to, or connected with a vocation or occupation: a vocational aptitude.
2. of, pertaining to, or noting instruction or guidance in an occupation or profession chosen as a career or in the choice
of a career: a vocational counselor.
vo·ca·tion [voh-key-shuhn] noun
1. a particular occupation, business, or profession; calling.
2. a strong impulse or inclination to follow a particular activity or career.
3. a divine call to God's service or to the Christian life.
4. a function or station in life to which one is called by God: the religious vocation; the vocation of marriage.
Origin: 1400–50; late Middle English vocacio ( u ) n < Latin vocātiōn- (stem of vocātiō ) a call, summons, equivalent to vocāt
( us ) past participle of vocāre to call ( see -ate1 ) + -iōn- -ion
Can be confused: 1. avocation, vocation ; 2. vacation, vocation .
Synonyms 1. employment, pursuit.
1. of, pertaining to, or connected with a vocation or occupation: a vocational aptitude.
2. of, pertaining to, or noting instruction or guidance in an occupation or profession chosen as a career or in the choice of a career:
a vocational counselor.vo·ca·tion·al [voh-key-shuh-nl] adjective
1. of, pertaining to, or connected with a vocation or occupation: a vocational aptitude.
2. of, pertaining to, or noting instruction or guidance in an occupation or profession chosen as a career or in the choice
of a career: a vocational counselor.
vo·ca·tion [voh-key-shuhn] noun
1. a particular occupation, business, or profession; calling.
2. a strong impulse or inclination to follow a particular activity or career.
3. a divine call to God's service or to the Christian life.
4. a function or station in life to which one is called by God: the religious vocation; the vocation of marriage.
Origin: 1400–50; late Middle English vocacio ( u ) n < Latin vocātiōn- (stem of vocātiō ) a call, summons, equivalent to vocāt
( us ) past participle of vocāre to call ( see -ate1 ) + -iōn- -ion
Can be confused: 1. avocation, vocation ; 2. vacation, vocation .
Synonyms 1. employment, pursuit.
All three of these occupations require us to show up. They require that we show up on time. So, beyond showing up on time, what else do we need to know? AFTER the group of possible students that CAN show up is sorted out, this group can then be split into two different kinds of students.
Group #1 tend to believe that at the conclusion of their training, they will receive a magic piece of paper that will make them successful. Their diploma. This is not a magic piece of paper, this paper simply qualifies the student to take the state board exam.
Group #2 tend to believe that they are learning marketable skills which they will then perfect to create their perfect job within the beauty industry. These are the ONLY students that will be successful after they graduate.
The students in group #2 expect that their instructors will absolutely KNOW their chosen professions before they can teach others how to do it. This get's us to the really confusing part. Today, when you type in "beauty schools in Alaska" at Google you will find over 2 million hits showing webpages that have something to do with beauty schools in Alaska. Of the top 10 listings in the entire world, MetrOasisŪ ATC's website - metroasis.com is in the #3 position.
#1, #2, #5, #6 and #9 list MetrOasisŪ as the "featured school". The largest beauty school in the state doesn't even show up, and another beauty school does show up in the #6 position. So, knowing this, I am amazed every single year when students from other schools call me and want to transfer to MetrOasisŪ ATC after attending these other schools for just a few months and then they explain that "I didn't even know that you existed". REALLY?
How exactly, does someone research beauty schools in Alaska as the source of their education in preparation for a career in the beauty industry and NOT see the #1, #2, #3, #4, #6 and #9 top listings IN THE WORLD for beauty schools in Alaska? Did they even look? Are you wondering why I didn't mention hits #2, #8 and #10 in this list? It's because when you do a search on these so-called "directories" they say that there are no schools in Alaska! I understand that not everyone is going to do their research as they should, but this is amazing to me!
The next step of neglected research by students in group #2 is the search for instructors.
WHAT exactly do the instructors at these various school know?
What have they learned?
Where have they trained?
Who did they work for?
What have they accomplished?
What is their experience?
These are the instructors that are going to teach the students in group #2. how to be successful in this new career. Are these instructors successful? Again, most students don't even bother to find out what their instructors know, IF anything at all. Then, after falling on their face the first year after they graduate from their CHOSEN school, they then become bitter and bad mouth the industry. Nobody in the industry MADE them not show up, or show up late, or choose a school that doesn't teach their hairdressing students anything other than a bubble haircut, one perm wrap and primitive color techniques or have their esthetician students teach themselves while sitting at a table by themselves all day.
These students picked the school they would attend on their own, with their own research, but then are unhappy about the results they received from their own choices!
How are others then, having successful careers in the beauty industry?