Barber | Copywriter

FULL GROOM AHEAD

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO BECOME A BARBER? I chose this career because it is my passion – I love making people look and feel great. I also love travelling, and I can do this job anywhere around the world.

IF YOU HAVE A MORE UNUSUAL CAREER, PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS THAT YOU DO I do full male grooming. I cut, style, hot towel shave, shave, wax and massage men’s facial and head hair.

WHAT TRAINING DID YOU UNDERGO, AND WHERE? I studied and trained in Morocco at the Institute Parisien. I am fully trained in all aspects of barbering.

DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DAY ON THE JOB I get to work at 8:30am. I count the float for the day, make sure there is enough change in the till, check all my equipment, sanitise all equipment and work stations. Then I get myself ready for the clients, who start coming in at about 9:00am. I do cuts, faders, shave beards and hair, hot towel, facial massages and so on. I make sure to do my very best on each and every client, so they leave the salon happy and confident to conquer the day. The shop closes at 6pm. I do the cash up, making sure the money balances, then I make sure the salon is safe and locked up before I head home.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR WORK? I am a people person; I love meeting new people every day. I am from Morocco, so my English is not too good, but I practice with my clients every day and am improving quickly.

WHAT DON’T YOU LIKE ABOUT BEING A BARBER? I don’t like it when my clients are not happy with the end results of my work. One of the reasons I chose this field is because I love making people look and feel their best. WHAT HURDLES HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME? The biggest hurdle for me has been the cultural differences. I have had to adapt to South African culture. But after being here for three years, I now feel settled in.

WHAT’S BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE? The highlight of my career has been the travelling. I have worked in Morocco, Dubai and now South Africa. My ultimate dream destination is Miami, Florida, in the US.

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE GOALS? My future goal is to open my very own barbershop in Miami.

IN YOUR LINE OF WORK, IS EXPERIENCE AS IMPORTANT AS FORMAL TRAINING? Yes, experience is just as important as formal training. In fact, some people only learn on the job, without any formal training. RABBI IMAD BARBER

HEADLINES BARBER & SPA

IS THERE A TYPE OF PERSONALITY BEST SUITED? For this type of work, you need to be a people person. You also need to be dedicated and patient. Barbering is a job where you are constantly learning, so you need to love learning new things every day.

ANY ADVICE FOR THOSE STARTING OUT IN YOUR CAREER? Open your mind! And work hard.

THE RIGHT WORDS

WHY COPYWRITING? After working in an advertising agency for a while, I looked into working for myself. Although I learnt that it’s tough to make it on one’s own – that I might have to live on potatoes for two months! – I decided to try it. I think my personality is better suited to write by myself sitting at my desk in my office at home working at the times that suit me best. In other words, an open-plan office environment is simply not for me.

WHAT TRAINING DID YOU DO? I did a postgrad course at the AAA School of Advertising, which earned me a diploma in copywriting. Afterwards, I completed a three-month internship at an advertising agency.

DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DAY I write advertising copy (the words you see on ads and in brochures) for clients all over the world. I get up very early and after coffee, I sit down and open the brief I received the previous day. I then spend the next three hours answering the brief and send the work to client. If there is more than one brief, or the brief calls for a lot of work, I work until noon. After lunch, and more coffee, I attend to admin such as sending out invoices and trying to get new clients with email campaigns.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST? The flexibility. I can work on a Sunday morning and take a Monday morning off. Deciding when I work means I sit down at my computer when I’m most productive. That way I get a LOT of work done super-fast.

WHAT DON’T YOU LIKE? Tight deadlines and something called ‘name generation’, which is coming up with a name for a company or product. It sounds easy, but it’s very hard. People are picky about what they call their businesses.

WHAT HURDLES HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME? Getting the first client and keeping them happy was tough, since I had to build a relationship from scratch. But the biggest hurdle is probably something in the present - that gnawing feeling of financial insecurity that never goes away when you work as a freelancer.

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE GOALS? I’d like to venture into the publishing industry, which is no less daunting than working as a freelance writer.

EXPERIENCE VS FORMAL TRAINING? Experience is way more important, specifically knowing how to deal with people on a professional level. Things like tone of voice over the phone JACOB SIBIYA COPYWRITER

SELF-EMPLOYED

and email. Just basically being polite while at the same time looking out for yourself, by which I mean knowing what you’re worth.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE STARTING OUT? Believe that the work you produce is of a high quality and will be in demand. Don’t miss deadlines – and never send angry emails.

YOUR JOB IN THREE WORDS Exciting, Creative, Inspiring