What does a nail technician do?
Nail technicians look after, shape and decorate people’s finger and toenails. You’ll be using a variety of techniques to give people manicures, pedicares or nail extensions. You may be working directly for a salon, or be self-employed. You’ll need good communication skills as you’ll be dealing with a range of clients. If you’re working as a self-employed nail technician, you’ll need good business skills too.
What do I need to do to become a nail technician?
You do need a qualification in SHB30315 Certificate III in Nail Technology to become a nail technician.
Contour College has opened its College for this specific qualification starting in October. This course will provide you with the skills and experience to start your new career in Nail technology. Customer service and 'people' skills will be important, so you can talk to customers and find out what type of nail treatment they want. You'll also need to keep up-to-date with the latest fashion trends.
- Related skills
- Patience
- Communication
- Creativity
- Business management
- Attention to detail
- Customer service
Where could I be working?
You could find work at specialist nail salons and nail bars, at beauty and hairdressing salons, at spas and health clubs, and on cruise ships. With experience, you may be able to progress to salon management or start your own business.
You could open your own salon, rent space in a salon, or run a mobile business visiting different salons or visiting clients in their homes. (You will need to find out about regulations and licensing requirements which may apply from your local authority environmental health department. You may also find it useful to take a course to develop your business skills).
There may sometimes be opportunities to work with photographers, fashion designers or TV companies, preparing nails for photoshoots or fashion shows.
