So you want to be a piercer?

Will

http://allenfalkner.com/faqbap.htm

So you want to be a piercer?
Facts:
There are more unemployed piercers than presently working.
Most studios have noticed a decline in business.
Piercer wages are not rising with inflation.
The industry is oversaturated.
The fad of the 90’s is over.

There are several inherent problems with today’s piercing industry. First, lower standards and poor quality merchandise are ruining the trade. Not only do most studios and virtually all non-piercing retailers sell substandard jewelry, but also the general public commonly shops around for the lowest prices. The idea that competition is good for an industry might work in most cases. However, at this point in time, cheap pricing has made piercing an added service for other established industries such as tattoo studios.

What effect does this have?
Unlike tattoos, piercing is often viewed as a temporary modification. Because of this, the general clientele spends very little time researching the specific piercers and often overlook the differences between good and bad work. Plus, return business and customer loyalty just isn’t the same. The average piercing customer only gets 1-3 non-earlobe piercings in a lifetime, and only purchases new jewelry a few times. Tattoo customers, in contrast, will generally stick with one artist and continually add their artwork, viewing it more as lifelong process rather than just a one-time procedure like a piercing.

What does this mean for the common piercer?
Besides being easily replaceable, talent is rarely distinguished or recognized. I firmly believe that most people working in the industry, from the manufacturers to the practitioners, care about their clients and livelihood. But, until things make a dramatic change, the average piercer will be a job best held by people with few bills and no families to support, especially in studios that use more expensive jewelry and stick to higher standards. Sadly, cutting corners often means making more money, at least in the short run.

Time and age?
As with any learned skill, only practice and experience make a good piercer, 1 to 3 years in my opinion. When you take into account the fact that wages rarely increase with experience, it’s becoming less and less common to see piercers over the age of 30. Therefore, it best for apprentices to enter the industry as young as possible and plan to seek new employment as their general life expenses increase.

Still wanting to become a piercer?
Here’s more bad news. Supply simply outweighs the demand. I would guess that most studios get at least one trained piercer a month looking for work and, at a minimum, one person a week looking for an apprenticeship. People are even willing to work for free just to get their foot in the door.

Now down to brass tacks:
You still want in, here’s how. First, attending one of the piercing schools might help. In all honesty, a good apprenticeship is the only way to become a piercer, but one of the seminars would help you to become familiar with the basics. Second, become friends with a shop. This will not guarantee a job, but most if not all studios hire people they like and trust. Thirdly, be prepared to work for little to no money. If you do the grunt work, cleaning toilets, mopping the floor, etc you will become a valuable commodity. Lastly, earn respect of your fellow piercers. If anyone in the shop thinks you wont make a good piercer, you will never be hired on, no matter how hard you work.

…and one final word. With so many piercers out of work, most shops would rather hire a piercer that needs more training than higher someone with no experience at all.

Good Luck
~Allen Falkner

Raze_them_all

I think that those of us who have tried to get piercing apprenticeships for the last few years have known that this was the case, I lol'd at the 1-3 non ear lobe piercings though!!

Will

Here's how I tried, and subsequently failed. You may pick up some pointers and hopefully succeed where I didn't.

Since about the age of 17 I decided I wanted to be a body piercer, spent most of my time here on the forum and picking up stuff from people who knew a hell of a lot more than me and learning from them. You pick up things yourself the more piercings you get and subsequently nurse to heal.

So, as I said since about the age of 17 I was interested in it as a career. I finished secondary and figured i should go to college just as a safety net and something to do.

Lesson 1 - Have a back up plan.

Any way spent few years sorta looking around, sorta half assed to be honest. Went to france in 2006 and spent a lot of time in marquis body art. The staff got to know me and I knew them. Made it clear I was interested in an apprenticeship and kept coming back in. Finally the receptionist said the head piercer is looking for an apprentice, so went and asked Marquis. He said yeah no problem, give me €2,000 and il train you for 2 weeks. So I said stuff this I can't learn anything in 2 weeks, kindly declined and went on my way.

Lesson 2 - 2 weeks is not enough to learn jack sh¡t

Made my way home to Ireland, applied to a studio who had been advertising a position as an apprentice. I was declined on the basis that I was still in college and that I couldn't focus on both without one of them suffering. Was gutted, that was over a year ago around March '08. Was very down about it all, but eventually picked myself up and got back on the horse.

Lesson 3 - You will face rejection.

Move on another few months, to last years Dublin Tattoo Convention. Was there with a friend and were shooting the breeze. She was saying I should ask around to see if any studio's were interested in taking people on. After some pushing gentle encouragement I gathered up the courage and asked a member of staff in a well known and respected studio if they were interested in taking anyone on. Was told to come into the studio and ask.

So a few days passed I think, myself and the same mate went in. She was getting her nostril pierced. Took the opportunity to ask if they were looking for anyone. Staff were very friendly and was asked such questions as why I wanted to become a piercer, what previous jobs I had and experience, what my coordination was like and was I good at taking things apart etc.

Answered all the questions and was told to drop in a cv and try get some experience as a sales assistant or in a pub. So I tailored my cv to what I thought was acceptable and went looking for a job as a sales assistant. I got a part job as a sales assistant and even a club at weekends. Handed in the cv. All this time I was spending a few hours a week in the studio, asking questions, reinforcing that I was not just a blow in and was genuinely interested in it as a career.

This went on for almost 9 months. Coming in usually every second day and even missing college. I handed in a 2nd cv around March I think. I didn't get the reaction I was looking for, so I asked what I should have in my cv. I was given good direction and made amendments.

All this time I was still asking smart questions and learned a hell of a lot from just hanging about. So I made a 3rd cv, adding in all the things that I thought were relevant and important, and at the request of the owner, added in a formal letter of application. Including the things I did to try better myself as a potential apprentice.

Through the few months I spent there I got to know the staff and got on pretty well with them, i think. Was never really told to fúck off or pushed out the door, which I thought was a good thing. Figured if I was annoying them I'd be told where to go. Generally just tried to stay out of the way and pick things up from looking at people work, whether it was dealing with customers who didn't know what they wanted or just plain rude people.

Anyway college was over so thought it was the right time to hand in a cv. Again didn't get the response I was looking for, and to be honest I couldn't spend anymore time there as I had no job and needed to live. So at the end of the day, said my good byes and went home. Have only been back once with my girlfriend who was getting her ear checked.

I gave up. I'm 23 now and need to be able to live, couldn't have spent more time in there without getting paid to do so. Was pretty down about it, and still am, if not a lil bitter to be honest.

I did what I thought was right, I regularly went in to the studio, made it clear I was interested, did my best to follow instruction and make myself a better potential apprentice. It didn't work out for one reason or another.

If I were to do it all again, what would I do;

I would make a few minor changes.
I wouldn't have spent so much time in the studio at the expense of college.
I would have been clearer and asked for a proper answer to my requests of 'is there a chance i will be taken on'.
I would have gotten up off my ass earlier in life and actually went out and annoyed studios, and not spend it on here talking about it

Was I right to give up? I don't know in all honesty. I wouldn't say that spending all that time in the studio was a waste, I did learn things. Would have been sweeter if I got an apprenticeship out of it, alas I didn't.

Anyway hope potential apprentice's and people looking for them find this helpful. If you are to take anything from this it would be to;

Get up off your ass and get looking, and asking studios, hang out ask questions. Be direct but not blunt about wanting an apprenticeship and if you aren't getting a straight answer ask for one, else you could be like me.