What is everyday working life like in hairdresser jobs?

As a hairdresser with a federal certificate, you work in management positions as a branch or store manager. More specialized employers include film, television, theater, hospitals, retirement homes, care centers, hotels and cruise ships. This responsible position involves mastering sophisticated haircutting techniques, advising customers while taking individual preferences and hairstyle design into account. In addition to technical skills, this also requires knowledge of human nature and empathy. In addition to cutting, hair extensions and thickening, shaving, beard care and chemical and physical hair changes such as coloring, straightening, etc. are also part of the services offered by a hairdressing salon. In the hairdressing salon, the hairdresser or hairdresser's assistant ensures that all employees adhere to the health and safety guidelines and is responsible for the training of apprentices. The field of activity also includes administrative work such as purchasing, sales, stock management, accounting and marketing.

The following areas of work are typical in hairdresser jobs:

• Hairstyle design
  • High-quality advice for women, men, young people and children
  • Recommendation of hairstyles taking into account individual preferences - to suit style, face shape and hair
  • Create hairstyles with scissors, knife and razor
  • Hair changes on a chemical or physical basis such as perms, straightening, highlights, color effects, dyeing
  • If necessary, carry out hair extensions and thickening for optimum results
  • Information for customers on effects, impact and personal hairstyling
  • Shaving and beard care for men on request
  • Building long-term customer relationships
  • Advice and sale of care and other hairdressing products
  • Keeping up to date with hairstyle trends and fashion and constantly educating yourself further

• Operational management
  • Ensure professional work planning and organization
  • Exercise employee management and development
  • Ensure compliance with occupational health and safety guidelines
  • Create budget planning
  • Carry out goods purchasing
  • Ensure infrastructure and warehouse management
  • Execute accounting
  • Performing marketing tasks

• Training of apprentices
  • Learning the practical basic techniques of the profession in meaningful learning steps
  • Teaching technical content
  • Providing encouragement and support
  • Show management

Target group and skills: Who is the hairdresser apprenticeship and professional examination suitable for? What qualities and skills are required?

The hairdresser training is aimed at the following people:

• Future hairdressing specialists who want to further develop and improve their job-specific skills in managing a team
• Professionals from the hairdressing industry who are looking for theoretical and practice-oriented in-depth training in core areas of their daily work
• Professionals from the hairdressing sector who see the training of employees as an important part of their professional activity and wish to do so

The following skills and qualities are required for a successful job as a hairdresser:

• Leadership qualities and service-oriented thinking
• Sense for colors and shapes
• Customer orientation, empathy and patience
• Manual dexterity and interest in precision work
• Fashion awareness, inventiveness and creativity
• Eagerness to learn and ability to work in a team
• Sense of order, cleanliness and hygiene awareness
• Resistant constitution and no allergies
• Organizational talent and enjoy motivating employees
• Sense of responsibility, independent working style and discipline

Requirements for admission to the Coiffure professional examination:

The following prerequisites are required for admission to the final examination (federal professional examination):

• Federal certificate of proficiency (EFZ) as a hairdresser and hairdresser or equivalent certificate

and

• At least 3 years of professional experience (100% or crediting pro rata) after completion of basic vocational training
   

You will be informed in writing at least three months before the start of the examination whether you meet the requirements for the Coiffure professional examination - in the event of rejection, including reasons and instructions on how to appeal.

Subject matter and content of the hairdresser / hairdresser training:

The subject matter of the preparatory courses for the professional examination for the hairdresser's certificate is based on the specifications of the sponsor of the federal examination, coiffureSuisse.

The learning content of the hairdresser / hairdresser training is divided into the following topics:

• Advice and sales
  • Conduct a professional consultation
  • Knowledge about the four types of people, selling and advising
  • Recommendations for care and styling
  • Product sales in the advisory process
  • Building long-term customer relationships
• Professional implementation
  • Understanding and interpreting customer wishes better
  • Practical implementation of customer wishes
  • Choice of suitable cutting techniques, products and styling
  • Intensify professional practice
• Professional leadership
  • Aspects of entrepreneurial thinking and action
  • Activities of a management position
  • Understanding of strategic processes in hairdressing salons
  • Professional work planning and team leadership
  • Implement and optimize organizational processes
  • Monthly budget planning
  • Warehouse and infrastructure management
  • Planning and implementation of needs-based and situation-specific training for the team
  • Motivation theories
• Basic training for vocational trainers
• Teaching and learning in the company (didactics module)
• The fascination of physical and/or chemical hair modification

Costs and financing of the courses:

The costs vary depending on the provider and duration of the hairdressing training. On average, the following amounts are to be expected for the training costs:

• Course fees:about CHF 5'100.- to CHF 6'600.-
  After taking the exam, you will receive around 50% of this back from the federal government on application (regardless of the result)*.
• Examination fees:CHF 2,200 (as at: 2024)
  The examination fee is set by the examination organizer. It is paid by the candidate once admission to the federal examination has been confirmed.
• Extra costs:At some schools, the costs for enrolment fees, teaching materials, training documents, books, intensive exam training, simulation exams, school diplomas and intermediate qualifications, for example, are not included in the course fees. Please contact the provider of your choice directly to find out what additional costs you can expect for hairdressing training.

*Since 1.1.2018, preparatory courses for federal professional examinations such as hairdresser / hairdresser training have been financially supported by the federal government. Graduates of these courses can therefore be reimbursed up to 50% (max. CHF 9,500) of the course costs paid after taking the federal examination. In cases of hardship, the federal contributions are also pre-financed in exceptional cases.

Duration of study, number of lessons and learning effort:

• The hairdresser training, further education is classically structured (i.e. the professional examination covers all the skills to be assessed) and lasts 2 semesters. It comprises around 240 lessons.
• The teaching times vary depending on the training provider. Depending on the training provider, face-to-face teaching takes place on a fixed weekday, a weekday and one or two evenings or as block teaching.
• Thanks to the extra-occupational concept of the hairdresser / hairdresser training, you can apply and deepen the learning material immediately in practice. Nevertheless, you should allow sufficient time for lesson preparation and follow-up as well as for self-study. Depending on your previous knowledge, working style and learning speed, we recommend that you allow the same amount of time for the additional workload as the regular lesson duration.

Note: Some schools offer so-called "taster lessons", which provide an insight into the lessons and the learning atmosphere. A suitable learning environment is important on the way to successful completion of hairdressing training.

Degree, diploma and title:

The professional examination "Hairdresser with federal certificate" is held annually in German, French and Italian, provided that a minimum of 10 candidates meet the admission requirements.

Candidates for the professional examination are notified at least four weeks before the start of the examination. The invitation includes the examination program (with details of the place and time of the examination as well as permitted aids) and the list of experts.

The professional examination for hairdressers comprises the following six parts:

1. Professional leadership (written, 120 minutes, weighting 2)
2. Relooking (weighting 1):
   • Relooking dossier (written, 8 weeks, prepared in advance)
   • Relooking Chemical color change or permanent hair reshaping incl. consultation and sale (practical, 130 minutes)
3. Chemical color change or permanent hair reshaping (practical, 130 minutes, weighting 1)
4. Updo (practical, 60 minutes, weighting 1)
5. Cutting (practical, 55 - 85 minutes, incl. 15 minutes consultation, weighting 1) - the time depends on the chosen cut
6. Expert discussion with reflection (oral, 30 minutes, weighting 1)

Diploma and title

Graduates of the professional examination receive a federal certificate and are entitled to use the federally recognized and protected title "hairdresser with a federal certificate" or "hairdresser with a federal certificate".

• In French: "Coiffeur avec brevet fédéral", "Coiffeuse avec brevet fédéral"
• In Italian: "Parruchiere con attestato professionale federale", "Parruchiera con attestato professionale federale"
• In English: "Hairdresser with Federal Diploma of Professional Education and Training" (Attention: This is only a recommendation/translation and not a protected title)