Being a nail tech is an excellent career choice for many individuals. However, there is more involved in this profession than you may first realize. As well as being able to perfect specific techniques and create beautiful nails, as a real world nail tech you must:
- Be creative – customers will request a whole range of nail colors, patterns, and nail art.
- Know your hygiene – this is important for both you and the client and it involves understanding specific risks related to blood born diseases and skin conditions with which you may come into contact.
- Be confident in your techniques – no one wants to be faced with a nail technician that shakes with fear as they apply chemicals or hold scissors.
- Provide advice – this will range from how to care for the nails to which colors will suit the client best.
- Accept that the customer is always right – you can advise and suggest your clients, but even when you disagree with the style they have chosen, the choice is always theirs in the end.
- Communicate with people – as a nail tech, you are working with people every day. You must be able to talk to people that you don’t know, and, more importantly, you will need to be able to listen with a sympathetic ear. People will often open up to you about their problems and experiences, and you will have to respond in an appropriate tone and manner.
- Deal with dirt and smells – most people will wash their feet or hands before having their nails done. But there is no guarantee that this will always happen. Some individuals may have problems with either foot or body odor that they are either unaware of or unable to control.
- Remain professional – regardless of what questions you are asked, or what you are faced with at any point. You can, of course, refuse to answer, and even refuse to work with an individual in certain circumstances, but this must be done in a professional manner.
- Recognize signs of illness – while your primary role is to make the clients nails look beautiful, you have a wider responsibility towards the welfare of the client. The nails can often show early signs of wider health problems. Again you must be professional in your approach to any concerns.
- Be willing to report concerns – if a client opens up to you about a problem, particularly one that involves illegal activity or puts the client at risk, you have a moral duty to report your concerns. Your first call should always be to your superior or manager; they will then assess how best to deal with the situation.
- Keep secrets – with the exception of the topics covered above, your client must be able to confide in you. If they tell you when they are going on holiday, you have a responsibility to keep this to yourself and not spread potentially dangerous gossip.
So, do you think you have what it takes to be a real world nail tech?