Taking on a hair, beauty or barbering apprentice

Case study: from apprentice to award-winning salon owner

We catch up with NHBF Member Melissa Timperley, an academic high achiever who left school at 16 to follow her passion for hairdressing. Thanks to her single-minded dedication and sheer hard work, she is now the owner of a multi award-winning salon in Manchester’s fashionable Northern Quarter.

When and how did your passion for hairdressing begin?

I’ve always been passionate about hair and have photos of me at age three with all my dolls’ hair done in a range of plaits and updos!

It wasn’t easy for me to go into hairdressing as I did well academically and my parents would ideally have wanted me to take a different career route. But they could see that this was what I wanted to do so they agreed that I should train with the best and I joined Sassoon in Manchester as an apprentice aged 16.

How did you make sure you got the most out of your apprenticeship with Sassoon?

I loved learning precision cutting techniques and making the client journey special. The Sassoon training for cutting and colour is regarded as the most rigorous in the industry and I lapped it all up.

I enjoyed much less the ‘drudge’ side of being an apprentice as I was ambitious and wanted to move much faster than the process allowed. But it’s important to recognise that you must learn all aspects of the profession thoroughly. 

What qualities do you look for when taking on an apprentice?

We want someone who sees hairdressing as a profession, not just another job. That’s the base level for me. Add to that a warm and friendly personality, an eye for what a beautiful haircut and colour looks like, and the determination and resilience to learn their craft – as well as make mistakes along the way.

How do you keep your apprentices motivated?

The ingredients for success lie partly with the individual’s passion for the industry and their willingness to learn. The other element is the interest and personal support given by salon management. We see, and treat, our apprentice Halle as a key member of our team and vital to our future success. We ask a lot, but we try to give a lot too. We will be in it with her through thick and thin to help her achieve her ambitions with us.  

What advice would you give to someone thinking of becoming an apprentice in the hair and beauty industry?

Make sure that you are really focused on making a career in hairdressing before you take on an apprentice role – don’t just fall into it because you can’t think of anything else to do. You need to have a vision of how you will use your talent and creativity, and a sense of who you are and what you want to do. 

Try to learn from the very best, watch how they do things, how they consult with clients, how they cut and style, the techniques they are using and why, how they talk to clients and so on. Take every opportunity to get further education from shows and training inside and outside your salon. 

Read the industry magazines to keep up with the latest trends and what’s happening in our great business. With the support of your salon management, enter competitions. Our own apprentice, Halle, came third in her first ever competition last year and now she’s got the confidence to do more, keep growing and be the best that she can personally be.