You love the art and you are just so passionate about body jewelry that you think it’s time you made a career out of it. Here’s what you need to know to make it happen.
Chances are, if you are a body jewelry aficionado, you’ve probably amassed a good amount of knowledge on your own. The next step is to become a trainee under the tutelage of an experienced professional, and then to undergo an apprenticeship. This is absolutely essential and basically the training grounds for becoming a professional piercer. An apprenticeship will give you the professional insight and every step of training needed to become a pro. It takes roughly between six months and one year. A novice generally needs to find a studio offering apprenticeship; choose wisely because they should be well respected and reputable! Some states have different requirements for piercers to be legitimately licensed, often requiring additional courses in anatomy. As this is location-specific, you can check your state’s board of health for exact requirements. During the time spent as an apprentice, you will be supervised highly. You will learn everything you need to know, in an on-the-job setting.
All health and safety training should be done for a minimum of three months as a trainee, prior to apprenticeship, where the student learns everything involving disinfection, sterilization, and cross contamination, before they get to the piercing. Taking a training course on blood-borne pathogens, held by organizations like Red Cross, OSHA, and the National Safety Council is necessary as well. First Aid and CPR certification is also necessary, and these are offered by Red Cross and the YMCA.
Another part of the piercer’s repertoire is customer service and product knowledge. You have to know your body jewelry, the different standards of quality, and what your clients are going to want. You will have to be able to advise your clients in appropriate aftercare, as well as assist/provide solutions should issues arise.
Professional body piercing as a career offers a great opportunity to put what you love into a career. It offers a more creative and interesting alternative to the traditional 9-5 grind, while allowing you to work in an engaging and stimulating environment! Imagine where you’ll be one year from now…
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