How I Became - a Hairdresser.
How I Became - a Hairdresser w/ Milly Briant.
Welcome to the ‘How I Became’ series where Billie talks to girls across New Zealand who are killing it in their chosen career and see how they got there!
Trying to decide what you ‘want to be when you grow up’ is hard enough as it is and your careers counsellor probably won’t have all the answers you need.
HIB aims to give you a bit of insight into different career paths and what it takes to get there.
Name: Milly Briant
Age: 32
Job title: Hairdresser
Current job: Senior Stylist at Rodney Wayne Newmarket
Firstly, what drew you to hairdressing?
What drew me to Hairdressing was wanting to be a part of an industry where I could make people feel good and have fun while doing it. I was never the type that would have enjoyed going to University, so a trade suited me well.
What subjects did you take in high school that you think helped?
As long as you have drive and passion, school subjects don’t matter so much in hairdressing, however having an understanding of biology and chemistry certainly helps! It’s amazing how much chemistry and biology is part of hairdressing with colour, products, and knowing about the skin.
What did your pathway towards starting your career look like?
Initially, I started my career pathway in early 2007 by joining a course at Cut Above. I was a super shy and awkward person, so I thought doing a course was the best way. These days though, knowing what I know about the industry, I definitely advocate for apprenticeships. Finding a boss who is dedicated to training is key to help you get paid while you learn.
What did you study/where/how long did it take?
It took me all up around 4 years to become a stylist, after doing 2 years at cut above and 2 years in a salon as a technician to know enough about hair to feel comfortable cutting hair for a paying client. Some of the girls who worked with me as a technician/apprentice are still good friends of mine!
What’s the best thing about your job?
I can’t just pick one “best part” about my job because there are so many!! You get to form amazing friendships with clients and other stylists, make people feel beautiful, and also be part of lots of fun events, just the other day I attended a product launch at a luxury hotel, where we ate amazing food, cocktails, and left with goodie bags. I have been incredibly lucky to reach some major career goals, such as winning industry awards, so that’s really been such an incredible feeling of recognition knowing my hard work and creativity is appreciated.
What surprised you most about your job once you started working?
I was quite surprised when I started hairdressing how much hard work it can be! You’re on your feet all day, looking after multiple clients at once, it can be exhausting, but it is definitely rewarding.
What does an average day look like for you?
On an average salon day, I work an average of 11 hours but only a 4 day week. I’m often quite busy so it usually goes fast! If I’m teaching a class or at a photo shoot, usually it’ll be an early start with lots of coffee!
This helps me prepare to move fast and ready to create beautiful hair to shoot amongst the chaos of makeup and wardrobe. It’s an incredibly social job so there’s lots of chatting!
What advice would you give to those looking to follow a similar career path?
I would absolutely recommend hairdressing to anyone who has drive and creativity but would stress how amazing apprenticeships are! The cost of doing a course, along with the time it takes, makes apprenticeships a much better option.
What are the biggest challenges in your opinion to getting into hair dressing?
One big challenge of getting into the hair industry is the shock of the physicality of the job, with the long hours. One hundred percent, it is still worth every back ache and at the end of the day, a hot shower works a treat.
What kind of skills does your job require?
People skills are absolutely key in this industry! I really struggled at first and had to work so hard to learn people skills. Passion, drive and creativity are also super important to keep enjoying the job in 15 years’ time.
What part of your job gives you the most satisfaction?
From seeing people’s faces light up when they feel beautiful, to winning incredible rewards, there are rewarding moments literally every day in this career. I feel as appreciated by other hairdressers as I do by my clients. Hairdressers are not the stereotypical bitchy industry that we are portrayed to be (I mean, there’s gossip of course! But never nasty).
Hairdressers are such great cheerleaders for each other.
What has been an absolute highlight of your career?
The highlight of my career has absolutely been winning Editorial Hairstylist of the Year at the Industry Awards earlier this year! What an absolute career goal to achieve after such a stressful time for our industry.
What’s an unexpected element to your job that people don’t realise you have to do?
People don’t quite realise that at the end of the night, no matter how long you’ve been hairdressing, if you’re free then you absolutely still have to sweep the floor and clean the toilet!! In the salon I’m in at least, we don’t leave all this to the apprentices, because we appreciate their hard work and want everyone to feel part of the team.
Describe your job in three words
Creative, rewarding, and FUN!
Check out Milly's work on her Instagram @millyjbriant