How to become a barber

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Do you have a steady hand, know all the latest trends in hair and beard styling, and have some creative flair? Maybe you a career as a barber is for you?

barber

What is a barber?

Barbers provide various grooming and personal services like haircuts, trimming, shampooing, styling hair, trimming beards and giving shaves. As a barber, you cut, trim and style your customer’s hair according to their preference or current styles. The usual tools you use for the job include clippers, combs, handheld blow driers and scissors.

Aside from providing hair care services, barbers also look after and maintain the tools they use. For example, they may clean and sterilise scissors, combs, clippers and other bladed instruments. They are also responsible for ensuring their work station or the barber shop itself is clean and tidy. Other tasks include keeping records of the services they provide and taking payment from customers.

Skills

Barbers need to have good hand-eye coordination, creativity and a keen eye for detail. Since you would be dealing with customers from different backgrounds, ages and lifestyles, you need to have a pleasant personality, patience and good communication skills. The work could get hectic at times, with several customers waiting for their turn, so you need to be good under pressure.

Hours and conditions

Barbers and hairdressers are usually employed full time or part time in barbershops and hair dressing salons. Nearly half of them are self-employed. You would need to have good physical stamina because you would be on your feet for most of your shift. Furthermore, dealing with customers is all part of the job so you need to be well presented, patient and easy to get along with.

what is a barber