From the first day of beauty school, we count down the hours until graduation. Each hour on the clock moves us another hour closer to completion. Because course requirements vary by state and license type, that final day can be mere weeks or many months away. Taking days off, whether by choice or not, prolongs the time it takes to become licensed. If at all possible, we avoid absences or interruptions, even when lacking patience or motivation. As consolation, we’ll never have to attend school again unless we pursue a different license.
“Patience is passion tamed.” – Lyman Abbott
Due to state legislation and regulations, the licensing process for beauty pros has a very linear structure. Barriers to entry like tuition costs, lack of childcare and limited program availability already prohibit many from ever taking the initial step of attending beauty school. After the process begins, attrition further reduces the number of students as many will never reach the milestone of completion. Some students realize only after enrolling, securing a loan and paying tuition that the beauty industry, or the training provided by the school, does not suit them. What some aspire to do as beauty professionals might be the exact opposite of what we must do to become licensed: commit to being present 8 hours a day, learn services we never intend to offer, work on clients with no authority to refuse service, use products we dislike, follow instructions and a dress code, and more.
“But to keep going when the going is hard and slow – that is patience. The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” – Leo Tolstoy
The sooner we can take our licensing exam (and pass!), the better to capitalize on our investment in beauty school. With license in hand, our professional lives begin. The patience and perseverance needed to survive beauty school come in handy because the first years of our careers can be especially demanding. We’re not guaranteed employment, or even a decent living wage. Instead, we’re told we have to “pay our dues” and not to expect too much from our initial work experiences. We’re convinced that we must dominate social media to compete for clients. We’re advised to build clientele by always saying “Yes,” making ourselves available and offering discounts. We’re burdened with unrealistic expectations for what we should accomplish despite our minimal education. We’re promised that it gets better with time, if only we want it bad enough.
“Patience is the art of hoping.” – Luc de Clapiers
Dreaming of future success sustains us through the most discouraging days and biggest disappointments. We need to build resilience, but even more, we need guidance and support from mentors and colleagues who can spare us from unnecessary hardships. Does having patience and perseverance mean having to tolerate unethical salon owners, toxic coworkers, demanding clients and other nonsense? Absolutely not! Please don’t let that happen to you. Don’t waste your time or patience when you have the power to spend them on more worthy pursuits.
An earlier version was published by Beauty Cast Network.