Salon manager

[A.K]

In order to climb the career ladder from a Beauty Therapist to a Salon Manager, do I need to complete a degree course at university?

I would love to hear how current Salon Managers have achieved to get where they are today... X

 

[rubywoo]

I started at the bottom and worked my way up, I've been in the industry for 30 years and thoroughly loved it. I now have my own day spa and would not recruit a salon manager who had just graduated. I need someone who has shop floor experience. I've had such a nightmare recruiting over the last six years I am now training staff from scratch and am currently training a great therapist to become a manager so I can start my next business. Just aim high look for jobs with good promotion prospects.

 

[AcidPerm]

If you fancy doing a degree, go for it but there's no defined career path in this business as the role of The Manager varies depending on the salon set-up.

Some salon owners don't want to be hands on at all and prefer to employ a manager to manage the business entirely from recruiting staff to marketing products and services. These are the ones that will see a benefit in your having a degree qualification.

Others will want a manager to be available to do treatments and manage staff and stock. They're more likely to prefer staff who are experienced therapists and so place less value on holding a degree.

I wouldn't want to promote a senior therapist to manage staff without them having some additional management training as the role requires a different set of skills.

 

[A.K]

I'm so confused !

 

[laurakate]

You can be a salon manager by working up to it if it's through a big company or by buying/renting your own and self appointing yourself as manager.

Salon management qualifications are relatively new and not crucial to have. I would urge you to do level 4 salon management rather than a degree. That way you'll achieve a worthwhile salon management qualification without as much time/cost. Also you can only take out one undergraduate student loan and I'd urge you not to spend it on a degree that you don't strictly need. You may wish to study something else at a later date because salon management isn't always a well paid job.