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A day in the life of a barber

Barbering is becoming a popular career path for qualified hairdressers. Men's grooming in general has become big business in recent years with trendy modern barbershops having popped up all over the country. For those interested in what modern day barber jobs involve Salonjobseeker.com asked our in house barber to keep a diary of a normal day to help give us an insight as to what a typical barbering job involves day to day.

8.30am: On arriving at the barber shop I add the daily newspapers to the rack, turn the radio and lights on and we're all set for the real barbering work to begin. We often have gents follow us in when we arrive as they attempt to avoid the crowds later in the day. Sometimes though, they take a little longer to get going and so I take this opportunity to do the most important of all barbering jobs and stick the kettle on.

8.45am: The first customer of the day arrives, an older gentlemen requiring "a short back and sides". I'm very familiar with this gentleman as I have been cutting his hair in this salon for several years. I use traditional barbering techniques including clipper over comb to achieve the required style before blow drying to finish and shaving the neck. Whilst carrying out the haircut we discuss many things including the upcoming football season and Englands performance during the recent world cup. The social aspect of any hairdressing and barbering jobs is an area of the job that I enjoy a great deal. Regular customers soon become friends and barbering jobs can soon feel strangely non-work like. The customer is thoroughly brushed down before being taken to the till area to pay for the haircut.

Following the customers departure the barbers unit is wiped down with combs and scissors being cleaned, the seat is brushed down and all hair swept away ready for the next customer.

Morning: From 10.00am we generally receive a steady trickle of customers as people slowly get going and the town gets busier. Often, the shop will fill up very quickly, particularly during holiday seasons where you can go from an empty shop to having 8 gents waiting in minutes.

1.00pm: Lunchtime. After a busy morning I'm ready for another coffee and a bite to eat.

2.00pm: I return to the shop following my break and take over the barbering duties allowing my colleague to take her lunch.

Afternoon: The afternoon has continued to be busy, as most school holidays are in any hair salon. We see the usual wide range of clients and cuts. From unwilling 2yr olds being blackmailed by their parents into having a haircut with a huge bag of sweets, to pensioners wishing they had more hair to cut. All are very entertaining and the whole salon enjoys a buzz of conversation and banter between customers and staff all afternoon.

4.00pm: Crowds of people in the town are starting to thin down now and for the first time today we currently have no-one waiting. I take this opportunity to do the banking, pick up some change as well as some cleaning products. On my return there are three gents waiting. I jump straight back into it with the first customer, a young guy looking for a modern hair style without going too short.

We have a lengthy consultation before settling on a suitable length and style. This haircut required more modern barbering techniques, some more widely seen in ladies hairdressing, with clippers used only to tidy up neck hair and sideburns. The long, choppy style has been razored heavily providing lots texture and enabling the client to repeat the style easily at home. After blow drying and styling with suitable products the client appears well chuffed with the finished look and I offer further advice and guidance on the correct products to use. The customer is cleaned down and led to the retail area where I explain the products which were used and that can help re-achieve the style that he now has.

5.15pm: The day has flown by and is now almost over. Just 15 minutes before closing we find ourselves without any customers waiting. We tidy our units, cleaning combs and clippers and replace gowns for fresh ones ready for the next day. I'm responsible for cashing the till at the end of each day and filling in a takings sheet. So, whilst I get on with counting the coppers my colleague has a blast around the barber shop with the hoover and a mop. With the till tallying up and the float recorded for the next day all that is left to do is switch everything off, lock up and look forward to another busy day in the barbershop tomorrow.

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