“I’ve always loved hairdressing and I thought that if I did it as a career I’d always enjoy my job!” said 18-year-old Jessica Dodd, who started on the Level 1 diploma, progressed to Level 2 and is now studying for the Level 3 diploma.
Jessica added: “I like the idea of making people feel good – and when they’re happy when they’ve had their hair done, I’m happy because I know I’ve made them feel like that!
“When I started Level 1 I was very quiet but, as a hairdresser, you need to be able to communicate with your clients and I’m much more confident now, both personally and professionally.
“The first time appointment with a real client was very daunting but because of what I’d learnt I felt confident and the tutor and assessor was there for advice and support and to check that I was doing everything correctly.
“I’m currently working in a salon on a Saturday to gain more experience and I like the idea of working on a cruise ship or on photo shoots so the tutor has talked to me about the best ways to go about this, such as to keep entering hairdressing competitions so that my work will appear in trade magazines and my name will get known.
“At college you have more freedom and are treated with more respect than at school. And because you’ve chosen what you want to learn and are in a class with people who want to do the same, it’s a nice environment to be in.
“The qualification is going to give me lots of opportunities and I’m going to take whatever chances I’m given and push myself to be a better stylist. I hope to own my own salon one day and my dream is to develop my own product range – I’m excited about the future and what it will bring!”
