I have posted once explaining somewhat my situation, but maybe not in depth enough for more experienced people to understand my problem.http://www.hairdressingworld.com/hairdressersforum/employment-advice-f526/learning-the-ropes-is-causing-me-stress-t7222.html

As a new person in the profession, I'm struggling to meet the expectations of my salon. I'm older, so do understand things in ways younger apprentices may not, but I'm finding the younger apprentices are far exceeding my talents.

I have been doing people's hair for years - all with encouragement that culminated in me following through with becoming a professional, however, my experience was self taught and fraught with bad habits I'm sure. I'm not finding the salon to be watching me well enough to catch my bad habits in action, and I often am getting more and more anxious as I see I'm not working fast enough, and making mistakes along the way.

As an experienced salon owner, what advice could you give to someone like me who is keen, passionate, talented, but feeling anxious, pressured, and is dropping further behind because of it all?

To be fair, I think my salon is just trying to push me to improve on my own, pressuring me to get results, and they are advising when I ask. When I have a model they do run through a cut first, albeit quickly. I do seem to select good color choices and patterns for highlight work, and they are helping me improve on my ideas.

Yet, putting all the pieces together (consult, preparation, application, finishing) just takes me hours and I can't seem to speed it up! My friends are patient, but I'm not, and I want to be faster, I just can't seem to find my zen and make it happen.

I do get bad feelings from my colleagues (feeling judged and talked about poorly behind my back) but I'm trying to push these out of my mind as paranoia. Granted I'm giving them reason to, so making a circular problem!

Hope these two posts are not totally redundant, but I wasn't sure where I'd find advice in abundance. I like the opinions I've been reading as trust I'll be directed with good ideas!

You seem to be your own worst citric. I can see that your inner self feels that you have been doing this for years and should have an advantage over others who are learners. Yet you accept your skills are that of a slow level 2.

The best advice I can give you is to swallow your pride and just be a level 2 learner. Learn as much as you can from the salon and even if your manager shows you a procedure that you know how to do from previous experience, see this as your advantage, rather than the lesson being condescending.

Take advantage of being a learner and don't tell people of your previous experience as this will only confuse the matter and cause judgments.

If you like praise for good work remind your manager that your only a level 2 and you respond well to praise and goals and you have found that this brings better results for you.

Anxiety can come from setting yourself unachievable targets or demanding more of your self than you can deliver. So don't. Forget completely your previous experience, and just be happy to be a learner learning, use your mature social skills to make friends and please your clients. Don't get involved in the younger trainees bitching and immature behavior - be the sensible and helpful older sister and gradually they will respect your eagerness to learn, your friendliness and support. Your manager will then see a mature willing person who will have a calm and reliable quality about them and this is a very desirable type of person to have in any salon that has youngsters being young.

I am sorry you are going through this! It is hard to stay focused on work and have pleasant conversation with so much fear inside. One question- are your clients happy with the end result? Do you have repeat business? That is the most important thing. If your clients are not happy, and you are having a hard time building, then you should switch to a salon that trains you before you are on the floor. If you are lacking the skill, you need the training. If your clients seem happy and they keep coming back, then maybe you are being too hard on yourself. Your clients can sense when your confidence is low, so do what needs to be done to fix that. Don't worry about the other stylists. You do not need their approval. Focus only on your clients and improving your skill. I hope this was helpful!! Good luck to you.