What Employers Want – Hairdressing Industry

Do you want a career in the hair industry?

We met with Kathryn Halliwell the Owner of Nuovo Hairstudio and Cafe to find out what employers want in the hairdressing industry to help job seekers.

You can watch the interview here, or there is a breakdown below.

Kathryn, when you’re recruiting for Nuovo, for your Baristas or Stylists. What’s the first thing you would look at when presented with a Resume?

“Sometimes I’ve found with Resumes, that they haven’t been tailored to suit the position for which the person is applying. So we might get a CV for instance that says “I’m passionate about being an Interior Decorator” or a Nail Technician. So I immediately look at that CV and think No… because the person really hasn’t put the effort in to think about who it is they’re applying to and making sure their Resume is tailored to suit that business.

That being said, I understand that some people are unsure whether they want to be a Hairdresser and just want to give the industry a go. So I would suggest that job seekers create different Resumes or Covering Letters tailored to suit the different jobs they want to apply for.

The other thing I want to see is the relevant experience. Sometimes people don’t have that, if they are young or coming out of school. You want to at least see a section or paragraph about why you want to be a Hairdresser and what interests you about the profession.”

When you’re reviewing for a new employee, would you check their social media profile?

“Absolutely, yes we sure do. Particularly for Hairdressing which is incredibly creative and technical. We would look at Facebook and Instagram just to get a rough idea of what sort of person has applied. Clients will often look up their Stylists social media pages and it can reflect really badly on the business. So we have a very strong social media policy.

If you want a career in the Hair Industry, I suggest that job seekers have a private and a professional account on Facebook. That way your professional persona on social media can be viewed more positively.”

What are your Interview Tips for a career in the Hair Industry?

“We’re not looking for super models, we’re looking for people who are friendly, have positive energy, somebody who can look you in the eyes, show enthusiasm and are keen – because Hairdressing is such a people business.

We’re certainly looking for someone that is well groomed. Don’t turn up in your tracki-dacks and your hair looking messy. Hair is what you do – you’re a walking example of your work.

I know that we all have our bad days, but it’s really important to make a good impression at interview – so we can understand how you would be in the role.

Being a hairdresser can be like a counsellor sometimes, listening to people, finding out about their lives. It’s so important that they can project a positive energy.”

Do you encourage applicants to view your website?

“I think it would be a smart move for an applicant to have looked at the website or social media to do their research. We tend to be more active on Facebook where we can upload recent examples of our work.

There are a lot of people looking for work and you need that advantage over other applicants – so it’s important to show that you are interested in our business.”

Thank you Kathryn! We really appreciate your time in helping job seekers to understand what employers want in the Hairdressing industry.

ETC can help you to get a job!

Contact your Jobs/Youth Advisor on 1800 007 400 to express your interest in any available roles.

Now that you know what employers want in the Hairdressing industry, we hope these tips help to keep you motivated in finding a job during the coronavirus pandemic >>

To get yourself prepared for an interview, check out ETC’s tips for video/phone interviews >>