Christy Massey

I do volunteer hours at a salon a few times a year but as I am fulltime my main role is at Demi International.

I worked as a junior in a salon for over a year. In 1996, I began a four-year apprenticeship. After completing my apprenticeship, I worked as a stylist and manager in salons in both Sydney and Brisbane. In 2008, I opened my own salon, which I ran for 13 years. I started doing training days in 2012. I realised my passion was training, so I sold my salon and have focused on training ever since.

I love cutting hair, and I also love the creative aspect of designing colors around my cuts. In training, I like to bring it all back to the basics. I enjoy being able to start from the beginning and progress to more advanced techniques.

Hairdressing is an ever-changing industry when it comes to hairstyles and colors, but at the end of the day, it’s about service and making people feel good. That hasn’t changed, and hopefully it never will. It is the only industry where we don’t need a computer to perform our job. It’s been great to have more options for people to study, but I hope that funding becomes available for people to study the Certificate III in Hair and Barbering.

Job perspectives. Cost & funding. Will I be qualified at the end of the course.

If you have a passion for hair, go for it! There are so many career options available, whether you want to work from home, overseas, in TV fashion, or own your own business. You’ll never look back.

I feel truly privileged. I love sharing the knowledge I have gained with my students. I take great pride in inspiring young hairdressers, and the best part of my job is giving back to the industry that has given me so much throughout my life. In the classroom, I love creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels supported. I want my students to be able to support each other through the highs and lows of their studies, and to look back on this time with pride in themselves for finishing the course. I get great joy from mentoring apprentices and helping them grow into capable and confident professionals.

Our hair and barber trainers are passionate about making our students job-ready. We love our industry and have years of experience. We have partnerships to help our students find employment, and we are there to support them even after they leave our program.

Over the years, I have volunteered to cut hair for the homeless through Hair Aid. In Sydney, my salon did hair for fashion week. However, my absolute highlight is getting my students to graduations. Seeing them achieve their goal of passing their last assessment is incredibly rewarding. I am driven every week by the excitement I see in them as they realise they have accomplished something great.