burnt out/frustrated as an assistant
I started at my salon a year ago as an assistant and graduated hair school last september. I was told in my interview that after i received my license that I would be able to have models come in via sign on the window. I have now been there for a year and I’m seeing no progress in my career whatsoever. Keep in mind, I’m not fresh out of high school whatsoever. I’m being paid barely above minimum wage and learning almost nothing at all. I love my coworkers as people, but I feel like they lack any respect for me at all. They leave messes everywhere whether that be color all over the shampoo bowls, not scooping color into the barrel before throwing it in the sink or leaving capes and towels on the ground rather than in the laundry basket. A big problem I have is the food messes. People will eat in the break room and let food go all over the ground and leave stains and opened food either in the trash or on the table which causes ants and flies to circle, not to mention the smell also. I’m the one who has to clean that up. I clean the toilets almost every shift and they still complain about the bathroom being “disgusting.” I’ll be in the middle of a task whether that be putting color away or unpacking an order and they ask me to sweep their chairs while they sit on their phones. I feel like it’s a humiliation ritual sometimes and they think they’re above helping me. Another assistant was hired and while she helps me a lot, she’s already allowed to take clients while I struggle finding time to bring in friends and family because my boss only has limited time to oversee my work. There are some days where the salon is basically dead and after doing what I have to do I’ll just sit down for however long because nothing is going on. I know i probably shouldn’t be doing that, but I’m just so tired of being a maid. Stylists (not everybody) will have me wash and blow dry their clients and not even tip me out. I think they see me sit down when there’s nothing to do and get upset, but to be honest after huffing cleaning chemicals, having to wipe up piss and shit from the bathrooms and dealing with disgusting food smells, I don’t want to do anything. Lately on a few occasions I’ve maybe forgotten to sweep up after someone or fill their barbicide and i get passive aggressive remarks from my coworkers about it. Is it crazy of me to think that maybe they should do it sometimes if i forget or help me even if just a little bit. I want to leave and find a new salon so badly, but I feel I’ve already invested a year into this one and I do not want to start over as an assistant somewhere else, but it’s seeming like a good option at this point. I’m so very frustrated and sad. I loved doing hair at school and was so excited to get into this field, but I’m really starting to hate it. Am I being overdramatic?