Almost everyone at some point in their career is an assistant to someone else. It's an incredibly important job, so what does it take to be the best assistant? Here's my top 10 list
1. Go the extra mile
Do more than what’s expected of you, whether it’s for clients, colleagues or your boss. Exceed everyone’s expectations and you’ll stand out from the pack.
2. Push yourself outside of your comfort zone.
It’s easy to reach a point in life where you do what you know and what is safe and predictable. But then you wake up one day and find that you are in a rut, with your work, with your own appearance, and with your attitude. Never be afraid to push yourself outside of your comfort zone, to try new things, new techniques and a new way of looking at things.
3. Anticipate and use your initiative.
When you work in a busy salon having assistants that think of what you need, before you need it, makes life so much easier for your colleagues and the experience for the client so much better.
4. Don’t just focus on what you are going to get…
Focus on what you will become in the process. When you are an assistant, or just starting out on any career path it’s inevitable that you won't be earning a huge amount of money. But the education you will be getting, [sometimes without even being aware that you’re getting it] is where the real value and future earning potential is.
5. Be the ultimate professional.
Be on time, be polite, be discreet, be courteous, be immaculately presented.
6. Be passionate.
Hairdressing can be a lot of fun but it can also be a lot of hard work so it’s important that you love what you do. Being passionate is key to getting opportunities and getting you through the tough times.
7. Be a life long learner!
You are in a ‘change industry’ and the change never stops, the learning never stops. Embrace change, learn new techniques, learn old techniques, learn new fashions and new ways of thinking.
8. Be humble.
The most successful people in any calling don’t turn into out of control ego maniacs. No matter what heights you scale remember where you came from, show humility and don’t get too big for your boots!
9. Invest in yourself.
If you are an assistant, don’t wait for someone else to make you successful, invest both time and money into your own professional development, spend your own money, buy books or listen to MP3’s, attend shows and seminars it’s no one else's job to make you successful.
10. Be thankful.
Someone has given you an opportunity, someone employed you, invested time and money in developing you. Trust that they do things with integrity and will treat you fairly and with dignity. You may not always like the decisions that they make, but trust that they have an overview of the business that you don’t and that they make decisions for the good of the business. There may come a day when it is time for you to leave, and when and if that time does come, do it honourably, and be thankful for the opportunity that was given to you.
That’s my top 10 tips to being the best assistant and I promise that if you embrace them you will be well on the way to becoming a ‘SuperStylist’, that’s the term I use to define highly productive and well paid hairdressers and that’s what I wish for you.
Thank you for watching…
