How And Why I Became a Pet Groomer
Everyone has a story about how they chose their career and here's mine! Got any questions about becoming a pet groomer? Looking for some advice and guidance? Leave me a comment below.
- Off to college
Like most teenagers, at sixteen I had no idea which career I wanted to pursue after leaving school. I went to my local JobCentre and took a quiz on the computer to see which job would suit me best based on my predicted qualifications, experience, hobbies and interests. It didn't take long for the computer to announce that I was best suited as a Dog Groomer due to my love for animals, the fact I didn't want an office based job and I was creative.
At the time I felt that a career in the Media industry was my calling and I went to college for two years to study a National Diploma in Media Studies in the hopes that I would one day become a radio presenter or sound engineer. My course required me to carry out some form of volunteering or work experience during this time so I signed up to become a volunteer for my local RSPCA centre.
At the end of the two years I knew that Media wasn't the field for me and I went back to college for a further two years to study a National Diploma in Animal Management. As part of my National Diploma I was offered an extra syllabus in Beginners Dog Grooming and within the first few classes I was hooked!
- Graduation and salon experience
I worked hard at college and passed my course with excellent grades, but after graduation I again found myself at a loss as to which career to pursue. I knew what I didn't want to do but not what I would be happy doing for the rest of my life (the million dollar question!)
While I considered my options, I found myself a part time job working in a small salon in West Kent, where the owner helped me progress from a Bather and Dryer to Salon Apprentice and finally to Assistant Stylist! I worked at the salon for 18 months and also went back to college one day a week to gain my Level 2 NVQ in Intermediate Dog Grooming. Although it isn't currently necessary to have a qualification in Dog Grooming to work in the industry, I wanted to learn as much as I could about the subject.
-Call of the cats
College opened my eyes to the possibilities of where Dog Grooming could take me, but I was still young and wanted to pursue other options. I took a full time position working for the Cats Protection as a Cat Care Assistant and ended up staying for eight years! I learnt so much in this role and my confidience and abilities grew so much that I finally felt ready to pursue running a business of my own!
For more information, watch our video: https://youtu.be/qqwmMjyBvXQ