Finally making their debut as a professional hairdresser ㊗️ Cheering on my child who overcame 3 major hurdles 🥳

Yesterday was April 1st. It was finally the day my eldest child made their debut as a working professional. As a parent, I want to say "congratulations" from the bottom of my heart. They really worked so hard.

I was worried sick myself, but I'm just glad they were able to make it to their first day of work safely.

Their job is a hairdresser. That said, they are still just a "fledgling." I hope they gain experience and eventually become a full-fledged stylist.

Successfully cleared the 3 hurdles to their professional debut

Over the past year, there were three things they had to clear to become a working professional (a hairdresser-in-training). I want to send a cheer to them for clearing all of them.

1. Driver's license

Actually, this might have been the most important one. While it would be difficult without the other two, things might not have worked out at all without this one.

A car is essential to work at their desired workplace. Of course, buying one is necessary, but it wouldn't have started without getting a driver's license first.

Even though they were busy with school, I think they did a great job attending and getting it. They passed on the first try. It's an automatic-only license, so there's no hassle with manual transmission, but passing on the first try was also a relief for us parents as it kept the burden low.

2. Graduation from school

Graduation from vocational school. To become a hairdresser, it's not enough to just pass an exam. It is a requirement to attend a training school for a specified number of years and complete a certain curriculum.

They cleared that safely as well. I thought they had taken quite a few days off, but surprisingly, their attendance rate seemed to be high. Looking back after two years, it seems quite a few people ended up dropping out.

I'm glad they were able to complete it to the end.

3. Hairdresser's license

Having a hairdresser's license is an absolute requirement for employment. This requires taking both practical and written exams and passing them on the first try. Each exam is one day long. If you can't go due to poor health, you fail regardless.

They took care of their health, took the exam, and passed. Congratulations. I think it was a lot of pressure for them personally. Even so, they managed to get through it safely.

The hairdresser's license is a national qualification. I think it's amazing that they passed a national exam that I don't even have. They did a great job.

The exam results were announced on March 31st

What I really wish they would change is that the announcement of the hairdresser qualification results is on the last day of the fiscal year. Perhaps that's just how national exams are, but having the announcement on the very last day of the fiscal year is truly nerve-wracking for a parent.

The pass rate is high, usually between 85-90%. This doesn't mean it's easy; it's maintained at a high level precisely because schools provide thorough preparation. There are paths through correspondence education or self-study, but the pass rate drops to about 50%. Studying is essential.

Therefore, I proceeded with the assumption that everything would go perfectly regarding preparations for employment, such as choosing a place to live and moving.

If even one thing is missing, the possibility of changing career paths increases.

This is because since they are being hired as a hairdresser, the employer also assumes they have the qualification. However, if they do not have that qualification, in the worst case, the job offer could be rescinded.

Of course, there are places where the offer wouldn't be rescinded, but they would have to study for the hairdresser exam while working and retake it.

While their peers make their debut as stylists, they would have to continue studying while working as an assistant. This in itself becomes quite a pressure and also affects motivation.

Having a specialized skill is helpful for the future | You don't really choose where you work

The next goal is to become a stylist. Just because you have a hairdresser's license doesn't mean you can become a stylist immediately. There is training involved where you actually cut people's hair.

When you get a hairdresser's license, you might imagine doing a lot of haircuts and hair styling, but you only cut the hair on mannequin heads, and the cutting patterns are limited.

The real start is after you join a beauty salon. That is where you become a stylist and make your debut as a professional. I really hope they reach that point.

The path to becoming a stylist continues, but I truly feel that "acquiring a skill" is very powerful. I have an acquaintance who is a hairdresser.

That acquaintance's child went to a remote area to make their dream come true. They said they would support their child and went to that place with them.

I wondered what they would do about work and money, but it turns out they found a local beauty salon, got a job there, and supported them. I realized that having a specialized skill like this is something you can use wherever you go.

And having a specialized skill, meaning having technical ability, is a strong ally for the future. As a salaryman myself, I felt envious.

I'm so glad they can drive a car💦

Beauty salons with many branches are often run as franchises. In that case, the store you work at might change depending on the store's direction or the intentions of the owner company.

Actually, even with this job, the store they were supposed to work at changed suddenly right before they started. The person themselves seemed quite shocked, but as a parent, my honest feeling is that I'm really glad it's within commuting distance by car.

Even though they are a hairdresser, they are employed by a company, so reassignments to group stores do happen. I think there might also be sudden requests to help out at other locations. In a sense, isn't it good that they can handle that?

The commute distance will increase, but transportation expenses are covered, and it will also be good practice for supporting other locations in the future, so I think it's a good thing. They don't seem to dislike driving, so that might be good too.

I am truly glad that we were able to prepare a driver's license and a car.

Summary: Congratulations on becoming a new member of society

In any case, congratulations on becoming a new member of society. I'm sure you'll face many things from here on out, but those are learning experiences too. I hope you take your time to learn and become a full-fledged professional.

If you ever feel a sense of gratitude, I would like you to pass it on to the next generation, not to your parents. That would be the greatest way to repay me 😊

Thank you for reading until the end. If this article was even a little bit helpful, I would be very encouraged to hear your thoughts.

▼ Recommended Magazines

Finally, I would like to introduce a few magazines that I am serializing on this blog. Please take a look at the themes that interest you.

This is a collection of links to works that I found interesting to read.

I have been playing the ukulele since 2025. Through the ukulele, I write about my insights into music and instruments.

I have compiled my paid articles here. I write about interests that are a bit hard to talk about with others, as well as my own personal failures.

This is for adult topics. It covers the three major desires, including intimate ones. It is a bit provocative, but also a very serious discussion.

I have collected convenient and useful tools, as well as things I have discovered in my daily life.

I also write articles about bicycles. I have learned a lot as an extension of my hobby, so I would be happy if you could take a casual look.

These are the voices of my heart. I write about things that might be useful from my daily experiences (this also includes simple musings and diary entries).

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I love cars and have collected things I have discovered about them.

I share the insights and lessons I have learned from the books I have read in my own words.

I look forward to exchanging thoughts and meeting new people. Please feel free to contact me here.