I would never ever claim to be “put together” or to know anything more about doing my hair other than brushing and straightening it. That is why for my observational essay, I plan to observe my good friend, Ashley, as she attends cosmetology school at the Littleton Academy of Hair. I want to research this subject because for one thing, I want to pick up some tips on how to make myself more competent in being a girl, and second, it is something I can easily observe and pay attention to without becoming too distracted. Another important reason for me doing this subject is because Ashley has been my best friend since fourth grade, and she has been living out of state for the last two years, and now that she is back in Colorado I want to get to know the new her better and see what her life is going to be like in the future. Researching this topic will help me understand her chosen career path and where she is going in life.
The first item I started to research was the school itself because I wanted to know what kind of setting I would be observing and how my friend would be acting during the day, and what she would be doing. At the Littleton Academy of Hair Design, I expect to see small classes, with a large amount of personal attention from the teachers and mentors there. My friend is already “on the floor” which means she is done with classes for the time being, and works in the salon part of the school with actual clients, with little help from the teachers. They are always there to assist though when needed. This website tells me that the school is run by Joe George, and his letter on the site makes him seem very friendly. I am hoping to have a relaxing experience while observing Ashley preparing for her future career.
Concerned about the job market she would be entering, I “googled” some facts about the cosmetology career field and what I found was pretty positive. According to the Career Academy of Hair Design, 9 out of 10 professional hair stylists would not change careers, 76% of salon owners couldn’t find qualified professionals to fill empty positions, cosmetologists enjoy a 0% unemployment rate, and Money Magazine stated that cosmetology ranked among the top 50 most desirable growth jobs.
And finally, I had to know, what is cosmetology?? Well luckily I found the site, Wise Geek, and I learned that being a cosmetologist requires more than knowing how to wash hair and use a pair of scissors. Yes, anyone who is in the hair cutting or barber business is a cosmetologist, but that field also includes knowing how to do manicures and pedicures, facials, coloring treatments, and make-up techniques. To become a cosmetologist, you have to pass a State exam to get a license to perform cosmetology. More than knowledge of what hair style is in this season is required. Students have to take anatomy, electricity, and other science courses to understand the human body. It seems like my observing will be a little bit more that watching hair get cut…
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2 comments:
I think that cosmetology school is indeed an interesting subject for an observational essay; I look forward to reading it though. I had a couple friends decide that cosmetology school was the right route for them, I’m still not so sure why… Maybe your essay will answer what is so appealing about it. It sounds like cosmetology is fairly intense and interesting though from what you wrote in your post and that it is more than what people think of it. I hope you have fun when you get to go and observe your friend at school, hopefully it will be more entertaining that coming to observe someone at a university.
You picked a very unique subject to observe. I might be wrong, but I thought that we were not supposed to observe people we already knew? I am not quite sure though. You did a good job finding sites for us to look at for background information. The sites were very informative. I was still a little confused on what sites I should put on mine, but your post gave me a good example to follow. I wish you the best of luck in observing your friend. Hopefully you will learn a lot of new and interesting hair techniques during your observation!
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