Nails 101: A Student Blog

Week 4: Rough Week with a Silver Lining

by NAILS Magazine | September 27, 2012 | Bookmark +

Well, along with the good comes the bad right? I have openly expressed how much I am enjoying school and I love all of the new things I am learning. I am also learning in this business, there will always be different types of people and different ways to do things. Most people think their way is somehow better, and they want to have someone else agree with them — in their way being the best way. 

Sounds like I am talking in “codes” right? Well, I don’t want to offend anyone so I want to be cautious about how I approach this. This was my hardest week of school so far. I felt frustrated to say the least. In school, we are all here for different reasons. We are all looking for something in the end. But sometimes there is “drama” along the way. There are issues with people getting along or who they like and don’t like. And there are always different levels of respect. I think it may be a touchy subject to discuss. But in this line of business we will come across different types of people. We may not have a lot in common and we may not agree on certain things. One thing I hope we can agree on is we all want to do our very best every single day. 

I am not here to toot my own horn, but I will say along my path in life I have worked several different jobs with so many types of people. I have learned a lot from my experiences. Maybe it’s because I am one of the older girls in my class (mind you, I am still in my 30s). But in the end, sometimes we have to know when to be quiet. When there are disruptions in class, it messes things up for everyone. It changes the vibe in the classroom and it makes it uncomfortable for everyone. 

I talked to a few friends who work in different salons and I told them about some of the issues I had this week in school. They reminded me that it is the same in the workplace. And they are careful about who they select to work in their salons. Sometimes what you do in school when you think no one is looking could affect you later when you are in the workforce and you are trying to find a “good salon” to get into. Your reputation could hurt you or help you. So it’s important to put on a good face every day and get through tough situations with style and grace. After all, you never know when you will run into someone you know and you always want to make sure when that person remembers you it was for all the right reasons and not the wrong.

But I do have some good things to add to this week as well — I have been anxious to get into working with gels. I am fascinated and I want to learn as much as possible. I think it is something you have to try and use different products and brands to see what works then best. When a client has a question about gel I want to give an informed response. I was able to do a manicure and finish it with gel. I think it looked great. I used it on a woman who told me she didn’t like to polish her nails because she is a dog groomer and she constantly has her hands in water and the polish lasts her only two to three days. She decided to give gel a chance and see how it holds up. I included a picture of it for you here too. I talked to her a week after the application and she said she loves it. She said it has held up so well in her line of work she wants to come in and have the color changed with her next manicure. It is exciting for me to hear the feedback from various services and products. I will keep you posted. Does anyone have any advice for me on working with gel and the removal process? I haven’t tried it yet, but now I know its coming.

I also got to do my first backfill. I included a picture for you guys to look at —I was really happy with the outcome. I still need to get quicker. I was so nervous and anxious to try the backfill, but when it was done I was pleased. Tell me what you think — any feedback would be awesome!

Have a great week and I will keep ya posted!

— Nikki

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