How To Get Yourself Fired

In real life, life happens. People are late. People get sick. Kids get sick. Tires get flat. Cars break down. There's traffic. Sometimes no matter how well you plan it, things happen that are out of your control and cause you to be late or absent. Employers understand when this type of stuff happens once in awhile. When it happens consistently on a regular basis though, employers start to question whether its really life or just a bad work ethic.

Beauty school is a test for students to practice for the real, professional beauty world. The beauty industry is fun. It's also a business. Not only do students learn in beauty school the technical skills of performing certain services on clients, but they also learn the business side of things, stuff like writing a resume, networking with industry professionals, building a clientele, marketing their skills to potential employers and working with different personality types. Students should always be encouraged on how to apply themselves to get the job they really want at the spa or salon of their dreams. They should also be made aware of certain bad behaviors that can potentially be the road block between having the job of their dreams and not having a job at all.

Some of the behavior I've seen on the salon floor at school would easily be grounds for termination in a real salon. Aside from stealing, hurting someone physically or threatening someone with physical harm, here are a few things that could get a person fired.

Not showing up for work.
If you aren't coming in, you have to call. No ifs, ands or buts. Your employer has a right to know whether or not you're coming in for the day to service the clients who are scheduled to see you.

Always being late.
Clients don't wait for an esthetician or stylist to show up whenever they feel like it for the appointment THEY'RE paying for. They'll just find someone else at another spa or salon who will be there and be on time.

Calling out consistently.
If you're not there to take clients, if effects the spa or salon's bottom line. No one wants to hire an unreliable, licensed professional. This industry is small. Business owners talk. Don't make yourself un-hirable.

Asking to go home early when you already have clients scheduled.
How awful is it for a client to show up on time for a scheduled appointment, only to find that their esthetician or stylist went home early. The client took time out of their day to show up for their appointment. Chances are slim that they'll be back to reschedule.

Not being prepared for clients, on a regular basis.
Borrowing tools from a co-worker once in awhile is ok. Tools break, get lost or might not get sanitized fast enough in-between clients. It's the ones who never seem to have their act together that manage to get themselves fired. They never seem to have their tweezers. They always forget their shears at home. They're almost always asking to use pens from the service desk. Part of being a responsible licensed professional is also always being prepared. Don't have just one set of tools or a pen. Have multiple. That way you're never without.

Having a negative attitude.
Ever heard the term, "One bad apple always ruins the bunch."? Negative attitudes in spas and salons can spread like wildfire. If you're having a bad day, don't vibe with your client or are experiencing beef with a co-worker, fake it until you make it. Strive to see the glass half full. A large part of the beauty industry is customer service. Clients can pick up on a sour puss vibe right away. Leave whatever outside drama is effecting you at the door when you walk in for your shift. You can always pick it up when you leave the building after your busy day full of back-to-back clients, if you want to.

It's worth a student's while to clean up their act professionally while they're still in school. It will only help them to be more successful in the long run. Not addressing these bad behaviors or striving for a strong, positive work ethic early on in their career would only be doing the students a disservice in the real world.