As a customer, odds are good that if you call any spa or salon looking for an appointment, there won’t be anything immediately available.
Why? Because now, more than ever, people are focused on wellness and treating themselves to body therapy, which means that any business with a good reputation will be constantly busy. Working in the beauty, massage and aesthetics industry offers an excellent combination of job satisfaction and security, with many therapists eventually opening their own business. Such skills are also in demand in other countries, with qualified professionals working in five-star resorts, luxury spas, or on cruise ships sailing the seven seas.
The Cayman Career Academy, located on Smith Road, is a fully accredited international beauty school with diploma and certification courses covering beauty therapy, massage therapy, beauty and spa management, aesthetics, body therapy, facials, manicures and pedicures, and waxing. This is an excellent opportunity for students interested in this type of career to study on the island, rather than incurring the costs of studying abroad.
Once they’ve dipped their toes in the water, so to speak, they can apply what they’ve learned on the job, then possibly look at enhancing or expanding their training at international academies. One of the great advantages to the beauty therapy course of study is the fact that it often involves hands-on experience before trainees step foot in a spa or salon. Volunteers agree to free treatments in exchange for students being able to practise on them (not on day one, of course). These opportunities help build confidence as well as improve secondary requirements, such as the appropriate way to interact with clients.
For example: After asking standard questions before beginning a treatment, should a therapist continue conversing with a customer, or not speak unless it is clear the client wishes to chat? Some patrons will prefer quiet while they relax through a massage or facial, whereas others might like more interaction. Lessons such as these are all part of the education process.
Charlene Barnes, owner of Focus Hair & Beauty Salon in The Marquee Plaza, has been in the business for quite a while, yet her passion has not diminished.
“The hair and beauty industry isn’t easy at first, but if you are passionate for this career path it’s so worth it,” Barnes says. “I still love what I do after over 40 years, it’s not a job to me – it’s my life and I love it.
“Making people feel great about themselves; being there for people who want to talk; meeting different people… it’s never boring.”
She also emphasised the fact that it’s a great career choice for those who want to travel, and should they want to open their own business in the future, why not?
“Having your own business… and all this, while having fun. What more could one ask for in life?” she says.
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