A Day in the Life of a Guelph Hairstyling Student
Each day can look a little different as a student of La Luma Academy. If you’re considering investing in yourself and applying for hairstyling school, I would love to paint a picture for you of what a day would look like as a Guelph hairstyling student. Let’s take a peek behind the curtain, shall we?
For me, my day can’t kick off until I’m dressed for success. For us students at La Luma, this means dressing in all-black clothing that reflects our personal style, but also conveys professionalism. I often opt for black dress pants, a casual but still classy black blouse, and some simple silver jewelry that I seldom leave the house without. On days spent in the salon, I’m on my feet most of the day, so comfortable, closed-toe footwear is a must. I’ve found that when I look the part of a professional, knowledgeable stylist, I feel like one too!
The Academy doors open at 8:30 am. I usually arrive, with my favourite coffee order in hand, at 8:45 am to chat with the other students and set myself up for the day. Between 9:00 and 9:30 am, we have our huddle, which is an opportunity to connect with our mentor or lead and to get prepared as a team for our day ahead. This is one of my favourite parts of the day, it always leaves me excited and eager for whatever is being thrown our way that day!
Like I said, each day can look so different at the academy. From 9:30 am - 4:45 pm, we could be doing anything from classroom learning, and independent mannequin work, to providing services for guests on the salon floor. Yep, you read that right—as Intermediate or Senior students, we get the opportunity to work with actual guests and put our technical skills to the test. It’s also the perfect opportunity to work on our interpersonal skills. You know, chatting with guests, providing great consultations, and recommending the perfect product for the guest’s needs.
I love the variety that both the in-class lessons and salon floor work offer. I feel like I’m constantly learning and evolving different skills each day. Plus, it’s hard to get bored with all of the different opportunities and lessons.
As an Intermediate student myself, I always have the support of the Salon Floor Lead while working with guests on the salon floor. My Lead supports and guides all elements of my services currently, making sure that the end result is excellent, completed on time and meets the guest’s expectations. With this support system, I always feel confident as I practice all elements of the appointment, from the consultation, and head massage, to education about products and tools used, and pre-booking the guest’s next appointment.
We Intermediate students also get to practice supporting our team on the salon floor and train in the role of Salon Floor Assistant. As the assistant, we ensure that every service is successful, that guests are provided with high-end service and that the salon floor is clean and continuously reset. We practice greeting guests, booking appointments, and assisting with our peers' services.
One of my favourite aspects of getting my education at La Luma Academy is their incorporation of learning leadership skills, as I know this is something that I need to work on personally. Intermediate students get to take on a leadership role on the salon floor and also with the new class of Juniors that join La Luma Academy. We practice showing up at La Luma as mentors and role models, which supports us in leveling up our leadership skills and prepares us to be excellent team members at our future salon, wherever that may be!
I’m also beginning to build my own clientele. When I first started working on the salon floor, I was working with existing La Luma Academy clientele, but as I began to feel more confident I invited friends and family to book appointments with me. With a bit of shameless self-promotion on social media, and letting my friends and family spread the word about my services, I’m slowly but surely building a fabulous list of clientele.
On my half-hour lunch break, I like sneaking away to Red Brick Cafe. It’s just next door, so the convenience is hard to pass up (and so is their roasted red pepper soup!) Being as we’re right downtown, there are so many neat places to check out and pick up something yummy, like The Works or My Kitty Cafe (their iced catte is delicious.) If you’re looking to save some money and bring your own lunch, there’s always lots of room in the fridge to store your tasty homemade meal!
On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday we wrap up at 4:45 pm by resetting the academy for the day. All the students chip in by picking a cleaning task. This ensures that our space is always neat, tidy and ready for the next day.
My favourite days are hands down when we get to work on the salon floor, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we students are scheduled from 1:00 pm - 8:00pm. This lets us experience what a full shift would look like. Even if we’re not scheduled to work with guests that day, we’re always welcome to stay and work independently on the 2nd floor. I know I’ve taken them up on this offer a time or two, it’s the perfect space to get some peace and quiet and focus!
Being a La Luma Academy student means I’m not only learning the skills to make me a great stylist, but also the skills I need to really thrive in life. I know I’ll graduate with leadership skills, financial insight, and above all else, confidence! Give @lalumaacademy a follow on Instagram if you’d like to see even more behind-the-scenes insight into what life will look like as a Guelph hairstyling student.
If you’re looking for a sign to take the leap and apply to La Luma’s hairstyling academy, let this be it! There’s still space for this upcoming semester, so apply today.