Pros
Great experience cutting men's hair and learning how to be efficient and confident. They will train you in all aspects of cutting hair, educate you on a variety of national brand professional products (Sexy Hair, Redken, Paul Mitchell, TIGI Bedhead, Sebastian, American Crew, Joico) as well as their own line of Solutions products. There are ample opportunities for advancement, including management. Depending on the owner/franchisee, you are supported and encouraged to be more successful and make more money through productivity bonuses and commission on products. Pay is good, although you work very, very hard physically.
Cons
You will never work harder and longer hours. Not for the weak! You will be on your feet for hours with few breaks, and while the tips are good and most clients are great, you will leave each day with aching feet, hair splinters, and sore muscles only to return the next day and do it all over. You do not get much time off and you are expected to work all shifts, weekdays and weekends, and especially holiday peak seasons. They are open 7 days a week, 12 hours a day on weekdays and 7-10 hours a day on weekends. Kiss your family goodbye, you will not be there for them. Emphasis is put on doing fast haircuts (15 minutes or less), and selling products. This is hard because haircut clients are not washed or styled and customers are at Great Clips for a value priced haircut; they typically will not spend money on more expensive quality professional products. Great Clips gets you caught up in the competition of being fast and doing cookie cutter haircuts, making you forget about the skill and unique artistry of being a hairdresser, which is what most of us were attracted to and went to beauty school for in the first place. This in-and-out salon is for people who don't care about their haircut, their style, or the experience of having their hair done; they are just crossing off an errand on their to-do list.
