Be Better Than The Rest
What Not to Do After Barber School
You’ve just entered the barbering world—life is grand, you’re ready to work, and you’re ready for all of your dreams to come to fruition. It’s time to be the world’s best barber.
Except, it’s not working out the way you’d planned. You’re not getting the jobs you want, your career is seemingly tougher than you thought it’d be, and you’re stressing out big time.
What’s going on here?
It’s possible that you’re making a few of the most common mistakes that new barbers make right after they get their certification. And you know what? That’s OK. Though they’re likely mistakes that are affecting your career, they can be fixed in a pinch, and making the effort to understand what’s going wrong in the first place has already been a saving grace.
We compiled some of the most common mistakes barbers make right after barber school—a list of mistakes so relevant that we wish someone had shared them with us right out of barber school. Check them out here!
Not Making an Amazing Resume
It’s a common misconception that resumes are an archaic thing of the past. We’ve got news for you guys—they’re not. Resumes are still a huge part of our employment puzzle and they’re necessary for most employment—including barbers!
If you’re not taking the time to list out all of your accomplishments, skills, and accolades to show to a future employer, then why did you work so hard in the first place? We know that those things might bring you joy, but at the root, they were to better you as a barber, right?
Making sure your employer knows that is going to be a huge part of the getting-a-job-process.
Not Being a Professional
Our industry is an interesting one because it encourages attitude, sass, and creative fusion—but that doesn’t mean we don’t have room to be professional.
There’s a huge difference between being confident and being unprofessional, and that fine line is balanced on arrogance. Being confident is one thing but muddling that with arrogance is going to make you look unprofessional. Focus on being you, but a version you’d be proud to present to a potential employer!
Forgetting to Develop a Brand
Developing your own brand is huge in this industry because it’s what sets you apart from the other barbers out there—well, that, and your skill.
A brand is complex, but it’s necessary.
A brand is the tangible and intangible pieces that make your business—that make you—what it is professionally. Your brand is the factors that affect how your business looks—like font, aesthetics, and the image you use. But also, it’s the ethics behind your brand, your motivating factors, your mission statement. Your brand is who you are and what you want your business to be, without it, you’re floating in ambiguity.
Not Cutting Yourself Some Slack
This is a big mistake that a lot of barbers make right at the beginning—remember to give yourself a little slack! Not everything is going to come overnight, it’s going to take hard work, dedication, and a lot of determination—but that doesn’t mean you need to be hard on yourself every second of the day.
Take a break. Take care of yourself. Focus on something for an afternoon that isn’t barbering.
You’re allowed to work hard and cut yourself some slack. Forgetting this can lead to an imbalance in your work-life balance, which can lead to bigger issues.
Not Perfecting Your Interview Skills
No matter how confident, personable, and amicable you are, everyone can use a little interview practice.
Why?
Because interviews are a different ballgame—you’re on the spot, the pressures on, and you might feel uncomfortable when it starts.
Taking a few hours to practice your interviewing skills—even before you have an interview to go to—can help put you at ease when the time does come!
Being too Proud to Ask For Advice
You’re never too professional, too old, or too experienced to ask for help or advice—knowing this early in your career will serve you well! If you don’t have a mentor, a teacher, or a colleague that you can discuss with, consider trying to find one.
Why?
Because it’s helpful to have someone you can bounce ideas off of, share thoughts with, and even rant if you need to! Being too proud to develop these relationships can leave you isolated, left to deal with the daily struggles of the industry all by yourself.
Having a Poor Attitude
Above all, make sure your attitude is top-notch. This comes in handy for several reasons. It’s going to serve you well when you start your job and you end up with the worst shifts, it’s going to serve you well when your interviews don’t go the way you planned, and it’s going to serve you well when you have a troublesome client.
Overall, learning how to adjust your attitude is going to be a huge change in your barbering game—and both clients and employers are going to notice it.
