Douglas J Aveda Institute

I’m shocked there isn’t a review from the student end of things yet. Just a disclamer, my issued are with Douglas J and not AVEDA.
I was a student at Douglas J about 2 and a half years ago & I can only hope at least one person can read this before handing over $ 16,000 (or even more now I can only assume). When you first walk in for your tour you’re greeted by the fancy product displays, huge windows, Aveda tea (but don’t get use to that, students are NEVER to drink the tea EVER… or that fair trade coffee advertised, half of the time it was Bigby coffee), and of course Macy the woman who manages to make Aveda seem like the most amazing thing that could ever happen to you. Maybe they have a new person doing that job but anyways… they promise you career fairs, interviews with top salons, contests, guest educators, top notch education with the best products and newest methods and of course the glimmer of a job at one of their «Aveda Concept Salons». Sounds fantastic, who needs some no-​name cosmetology school when you can have the Aveda name on your resume, nobody can compete with that!
Next thing you know you’re walking in on your first day into the introductory classroom. You’ll more then likely be greeted this time by somebody who just recently graduated from Douglas J themselves (including some people i graduated with, sorry guys… or even more recently then that) and generally have no actual salon experience. So you’re putting you’re promising & very expensive career in the hands of people who have absolutely no idea what it’s like to work in the real world. Now i’ve been working at a good salon for over 2 years now and let me tell you a few things. 1. They don’t care where you want to school. 2. Not a single thing they teach you in school applies once you get a real job. 3. I have in my short career probably done more hair, taken more classes, and generally have more knowledge then most of the educators there (they aren’t all bad, some of them really do know what they are talking about… but not enough of them)…point being, with all of my experience so far I would NEVER consider myself good enough to teach somebody. It takes a lot more then 1500 hours as a student, and something like 500 hours of «educator training» to be good enough to teach somebody a skilled trade. Now one more thing about these educators before I tell you about the rest of your education. These girls have their jobs because of their personalities. This place is kind of like a cult, it’s weird. 2 people in my class were chosen as students to become educators just based how «cool» they were. They were told to immediately enrole in the educator training program as soon as they finished because they would for sure give them a job. Who needs to actually have experience, or skill right? Especially when you’re so cool that your teacher is willing to go out drinking with you (against the rules by the way) and talk trash about other students and teachers. But good for you if you want to be in a cult or something. Oh… and lets not forget this too. You’re going to have to really hope your on their good side because they pick of choose their favourites. I got lucky. i was «totally in». A lot of people wern’t
Anyways lets talk about your actual education. Do you like feet? Well you better start because at least 50% of your time at Douglas J will be spent giving pedicures. Unfortunately thats part of the state requirement to do a few hours of them (not as much as Douglas J makes you though, thats just because thats what makes them money. THEY LOVE MONEY!) and clearly you can see from all these other reviews these people don’t want their hair done by you, but they’ll get a pedicure or a facial/​massage. Just so all you paying customers know none of the students want to be doing these things. If you book a facial on a friday your student will HATE you and spend the who day dreading your appointment. Same goes for pedicures, but not just on fridays, they’ll hate you no matter what day you come in on. So what about the hair? Yeah you get to do that sometimes. Mostly on a mannequin head, which are nothing like a human head, and extremely creepy, just ask my dog. Your first 2 months will be spent in a classroom learning the basics. Basics of what you ask? Mostly the basics of how to sell their Aveda products and pure plant essences and chakras. You’ll learn how to do like 4 different hair cuts too and they tell you they are teaching you how to blow dry. Don’t listen. I don’t think a single person in that building knows how to use one those things and a good blow dry is important. Wasn’t my face red the first time my boss watched me blowdry somebody and then asked «have you ever done this before». THANKS AVEDA. Here are some things you won’t learn at Douglas J, how to blowdry, how to do an up-​do, how to do a relaxer, how to do extensions, how to work with any type of ethnic hair, how to use a razor to cut hair etc.