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Now Is a Great Time to Become a Beauty Professional
Blue Highways
Jerry Tyler
With the focus of this month’s Stylist
being entry into the amazing world of the
beauty profession, I can’t help but reflect on
my 34-year journey as an industry professional
and the many wonders that continue to
unfold after borrowing $300 from my father
in 1974 to go to beauty school.
So much has changed and evolved in
our industry, yet so much remains the same.
Many features and benefits that were newer
then are now time tested. And we are now in
uncertain economic times, much the same as
when I entered our industry in the mid ‘70s.
We had double-digit inflation, doubledigit
unemployment and gas prices were at
an all time high. In trying to decide whether
to go the traditional higher learning route or
learning a trade, I noticed that my hairstylist
friends always had cash and some were even
buying homes, even though housing prices
were at an all time high.
The mother of one of my closest friends
was a shampoo assistant in a shop. Every
Saturday she came home with a car full of
groceries—the gains of a hard day’s work in
the shop. Licensed since the great depression,
she told me that she always had money in her
pocket during the ‘30s when most of America
was out of work. When her husband lost his
job during the ‘60s, it was her ability to style
hair that put bread on the table until he was
able to get back on his feet.
In good times and bad, the demand to
look and therefore feel good has made our
industry recession and depression proof.
The constant evolution of fashion fueled
by the creative core of our industry is a huge
draw to those who aren’t drawn to traditional
corporate careers. We all know the perception
that beauty school is for the uneducatable.
The reality is that all the requisite skills
to succeed in the corporate and business
environment are alive and well in the beauty
industry.
The ability to write your own job description
and follow that path to the financial and
creative abundance we all deserve is another
draw to enter the beauty profession. Master
hair cutter, colorist, spa technician, educator,
salon manager, the choices are endless.
Our industry is global. Fashion has
no boundaries, except those we make for
ourselves. We can work anywhere our talent,
expertise and passion will take us, insuring
untold freedom and independence—both
creatively and financially.
The educational opportunities in our industry
have never been as plentiful as they are
now, with options to meet the specific needs
of any future industry professional. Many of
these schools are creating strategic alliances
with professional hair product companies and
educational resource providers to offer state
of the art training resources for their students.
Advanced schools offer continuing education
to keep pace with emerging trends and assure
we stay relevant in an ever-evolving fashion
and business landscape.
Where it comes to schools, the choices
start with high-end boutique schools with
identifiable cultures of education to affordable
quality chain schools and individually
owned beauty schools and academies
throughout the U.S. of every description.
Most schools offer more than the
traditional tuition, grants, scholarships and
student loans for those who need financial
assistance. There are also organizations that
work to guarantee quality education and protect
students’ economic rights by certifying
and accrediting schools. Doing so assures the
integrity of the education they are seeking.
Many community colleges and trade technical
institutions offer education in the industry
through the public education sector. This
is not only affordable, but the community
colleges combine the traditional cosmetology
course with an associate of arts degree, with
completion of additional courses or units.
As an alternative to the traditional route,
some states offer cosmetology and barber
apprentice programs. This is on-the-job
training by a mentoring master professional.
In lieu of formal schools, this hands-on
training in the workplace is combined with
supplemental classroom education; it allows
the apprentice to earn a wage while learning
their craft. Most apprenticeships take longer
than traditional school due to the nature of
this form of training. Many apprentices build
their clientele while being supervised in the
salon and are well on their way to financial
success by the time they complete their
program and become journeyman stylists or
barbers.
Now, as at no time before, our industry
assures continued financial growth and creative
achievement in uncertain economic and
political times.
Jerry Tyler’s column Blue Highways is his “Road Less Traveled” perspective
on the solutions and challenges facing the beauty industry. Jerry Tyler has
been a stylist since 1975 serving as the former artistic director for Vidal Sassoon
Academy and currently as Director of Education for Carlton Hair salons.
He is also a licensed cosmetology instructor and has served as President of
the California State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology.
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12 | SEPTEMBER 2008 | CALIFORNIA STYLIST & SALON