Getting started as a hairdresser

If you’ve always loved doing hair, a career in hairdressing may be your calling, as Tuscani Closter found.

“I’ve always been interested in hair since I was a child,” she says. “My mum was never very good at doing my hair, so I had to learn from a young age. An advertisement for an apprenticeship came up and my mum said why not go for it? I did, and I got the job.”

Tuscani began her apprenticeship with Saltwood Hair Studio in Tootgarook while also completing her Certificate III in Hairdressing through Chisholm.

She went from strength to strength, despite the challenges presented by COVID and the associated lockdowns. Tuscani was even nominated as Apprentice of the Year at the 2022 Chisholm Education Awards.

Tuscani believes her greatest achievements were coping through COVID and doing extra training and courses, including a colouring master course and interstate workshops.

“I loved the course,” she says. “It’s been amazing. It’s very hard work but very rewarding.”

Tuscani works in the salon full-time, then does TAFE one day a week and studies at home.

Her typical day starts at 8.45am and she can see anywhere between three to six clients, depending on what they require. As an apprentice hairdresser (or emerging stylist, as her employer calls her), Tuscani does everything – cuts, colour, tone, and styling.

Tuscani usually finishes at 5pm, but for those needing appointments outside of regular business hours, she sometimes works until 8pm or on Saturdays.

Her favourite thing about being an apprentice hairdresser is seeing the transformation take place and people’s confidence levels improve.

“The nicest part is seeing people leave happy and with a skip in their step,” she says. “I personally love getting my hair done because you feel so much better after it. Aside from seeing the end result, my favourite part is foiling.”

Tuscani found Chisholm gave her all the skills needed to apply herself as a hairdresser.

“My teacher at Chisholm was amazing,” she says. “Her knowledge was incredible and I’m using the skills I learnt at Chisholm every day on the job.”

Tuscani’s dream is to continue learning and growing as a hairdresser, and to travel.

Her advice to others who want to become hairdressers is to ‘say yes to everything’ and take initiative.

“You have to be prepared to work hard, but it’s a really rewarding career,” she says.

Do you have a flair for hair? Why not consider a career in hairdressing?

According to the Australian Government’s Job Outlook website, there were 59,100 hairdressers in 2020 and that number is likely to reach 62,700 by 2025.