If you are reading this, chances are you are seriously thinking about becoming a nail technician.
Before spending time and money into learning to become a nail technician, a person must know what a typical nail technician life is. She will have a good idea of how a manicurist works and lives so that she can make an informed decision whether it is the job she wants. One great way to know about this is working temporarily at a nail salon or shadowing a good nail technician.
Seven characteristics that a nail technician should have:
A nail tech should be friendly, out-going, and helpful:
A manicurist will work with customers all day. It is a one-on-one service. The distance between you and your customers is only a couple of feet away.
You have to be able to work close to your customer for an hour without making her feeling bored. If you could not project a warm, welcoming sign to a person whom you never met before to make her feel at ease, you should learn how to gain this skill.
Whether it is a nail technician or any other profession, this skill will push you further in your career.
Many customers who come to a nail salon for nail service do not just want their nails done.
In my years of working as a nail tech, aside from getting their regular services, many of my customers came into the salon to relax, to have a quick escape from their work or busy schedule at home. They also want find a person who can lend them her ears so she can have a fun conversation for an hour.
A person who can do this is their manicurist and you should learn how to be that person to become a successful nail tech.
Nail technician must make customers happy:
A nail technician does not just do nails. The more important thing she must do is to make customers happy at the end of the nail service.
Your customers who come to you for nail services already know your ability and trust your nail skills. They expect you to give them what they want, make them feel pretty and happy at the end of the nail appointment.
So, you have to use your best nail skills to fulfill that request. The main thing is you make your customer feel satisfied. That is the reason for them to come back, your best nails skills are secondary.
Even when a customer feels down, sad, or depressed, It is part of your job is to lend an ear, be sympathetic to them because not everybody has a chance to sit down for an hour to think about bad or sad things. It is a nail technician job to turn their state of mind around.
You work schedule can be both flexible and demanding:
For an experienced nail technician, she has higher priorities like family or wants to work only part-time, then doing nails is a good job to earn extra money. She can choose the number of hours and when she will work.
For an ambitious nail technician who wants to serve as many customers in a day as she could then this is very demanding. She can work long hours and sometimes 7 days a week.
Moreover, people usually want to get their nails done at the end of their workdays or on their weekends. This means a nail technician often works very late or when other people are enjoying their weekends, nail technicians work.
This could take a toll on their personal lives as their family members do not see much of them. It is a big sacrifice for both nail technicians and their families.
You must be good with your hands to create arts:
This is a profession that requires the ability to work well with your hands and fingers. Since you must be able to create different nail shapes using an emery board or nail file. You have to have good hand-eye coordination to create a great-looking set of nails.
Furthermore, you need this ability so you can create small, intricate nail art designs for your customers.
You have to be able to learn new things all the time:
Nails is a seasonal fashion industry. You must be ready and eager to learn new things every few months. Unlike other professions, what you learned and knew last year might not be relevant today. If you are not able to give your customers the latest trends in nail products or services, they will not come back.
If this happens, your clientele base will get smaller to the point that doing nails will not be able to support you financially. You will quit being a nail tech.
Doing nails can be more exciting than working in an office:
If the idea of working in an office or in a factory where you do not have the interaction with people and it is what you like, then being a nail technician might be an option for you.
As a nail technician, you can work on people and have a chance to interact with real people.
One more good thing about being a nail tech is you can not bring work home.
Small investment but can be a long-time career:
In the US, licensed manicurists are state-regulated. This means that the requirements are different. In general, you must learn two things: theory and practical. You also must pass a state examination to be licensed in your state.
State of Ohio only requires 200 hours of class study in approved nail school while Texas requires 600 hours of class time. All curriculum requires you to go to class full time which is 40 hours a week.
Tuition can go as low as $500 to a few thousand dollars.
How much money can a nail tech earn:
statistically, a nail technician can earn about $16 an hour. However, this depends a lot on how good you are. If you have great nail skills and great personality, you will attract more customers. People will find you to get their nails done by a great manicurist.
If your schedule book is filled for weeks ahead, you will be busy making money instead of sitting around.
Note: you can start a nail business for less than $4.00 a month! See how it is done in this article.
Test yourself: be involved in the nail industry
There are two ways to gain insight into the nail industry is by working in a busy nail salon or shadowing a successful nail tech.
The best place to learn about nails is to work in a busy nail salon. You will have a total picture of how a nail salon in operation, especially when it is busy. You can also see how nail technicians interact with each other. More importantly, you see first hands how customers are served in all aspects of nail service.
Since you do not have any experience, you can work as a helper or assistant to other nail techs or as a receptionist. Working full-time or part-time depending on how much free time you have available.
If the salon is not hiring, you can even work there for free for a couple of weeks. The insight you have about nail salon and nail technicians will worth more than the hours you work there for free because from it you can decide whether it is the right future job for you.
You can shadow a successful nail tech. If the nail salon option is not feasible, shadowing a nail tech is your second-best choice. You will be able to see how a nail tech works, either in a salon or as an independent mobile one. You will learn valuable knowledge of being a nail technician, how she works, and deal with her daily family responsibilities.
Either way, you will have enough facts to decide whether you should become a nail technician.
I hope this article gives you a quick overview of what you need to know about nail technician so you can find out whether you have what it takes to become one.
A Nail blog is a great way to test your nail skills and passion
The quickest way to get involved in the nail industry is write about it.
Before you write about nails, you have to learn about it.
It would be easier if you do your nails at home because you have some experience. As you write, you have to fine tune your writing skills so other can understand what you want to share. This in turn makes you better at doing nails.
You can write what you do and know in a nail blog to share with other. If you are not shy away from writing, you can learn what a nail blog is and all the benefits it brings.
The best part is it only costs under $4.00 a month to start one. The initial is minimal and you can start one even today.
Hopefully, you will become a great blogger in the nail industry.
Best of luck to you.
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Want to take your nail skills on the road? You can be a mobile nail technician on your area. If you already have clientele, you can cater your nail skills to your customers’ home or office.
