How To Choose A Good Educator

New year, new you – there’s no better time than now to start looking at education for 2020. But how do you choose from the myriad of courses available? Here are some tips from Akin Konizi, international creative director from HOB Academy, to help you find the educator for you.

“The most important thing to ask yourself is: do you really need this course to enhance your job and what are you looking to get from the course?” explains Akin Konizi, international creative director, HOB Academy.

“It’s easy to get distracted when looking for a course to attend, or an educator to come into the salon, so you need to make sure you are choosing a course that will enhance your creativity, feed your passion and push you out of your comfort zone.

“The saying ‘those that can’t, teach” is incredibly damaging because educators are often at the top of their game. In the current climate, everyone wants to be an educator and think it’s an easy way to make money, but if you don’t have the skills or experience you will soon be overtaken by the students you are teaching! A lot of educators are incredibly talented so make sure you do your homework.”

Akin’s top 5 things to consider when thinking about booking an educator:

1) The first thing you need to do is look at your own skills and knowledge. What are you missing? What type of client would make you run for the hills? Those are the skills you are missing and should build a training programme around those. You may love cutting bobs, but if it’s long hair that scares you, look at long hair courses.

2) Look at the educator’s skills, knowledge and experience. Do your homework before you book them. Look at their Instagram page, website, youtube videos.

3) What type of educator are they? Do you want to work on a model or watch them at work? Choose an educator that works to your learning strengths.

4) Go on recommendation wherever possible. If the brand has a good ’salon business’, that’s a good indicator that you will be taught good ’salon work’. If it’s profile and creativity that you want, look at what they do. If they’re successful at photographic collections and awards, and that’s what you want, they’re the one for you. Most importantly, do your research, and visit them. Are the educators going to talk with you, or at you?

5) Don’t be restricted by budget. Education is vital for your success. You only get one chance to keep a client!

It’s probably going to be cheaper with an independent, but you may only get taught by one educator as opposed to a team.