Oat milk coffee leads to new career through apprenticeship

Alexia wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her career, but the answer came to her over coffee.

Alexia Smith didn’t plan on becoming a hairdresser. After graduating from high school, she was studying for a university degree. But after 2 years she decided that it just really wasn’t for her.

‘I had voices in my head saying, ‘do you really want to be a quitter?’ and it was such a hard decision to make,’ she said.

‘I was so young. I thought I had to have my life sorted and that I should finish what I started. But I wasn’t happy, and I knew I just had to let it go.’

‘Life is all about trial and error, you’re meant to try different things.’

Alexia left university not knowing what to do next, so she took up full-time retail work while figuring things out. The answer came to her through coffee. On her way to her shifts, she would stop off to visit her favourite barista, grab an oat milk coffee and have a chat.

It turned out that the barista’s wife ran a hairdressing salon and was looking for an apprentice.

‘I think he saw something in me, and he asked whether I might want to give it a go,’ she said.

‘I’m always about making the most of opportunities when they come to me, so I applied and then did a trial run – and I loved it.’

Alexia enjoys talking to people and connecting with them. She can’t believe she found a job where she could do that all day! Coming from retail, where she was dealing with ‘one customer every minute’, she appreciated being able to spend time with each client in a more relaxed environment.

She says her apprenticeship was challenging, but in a good way. While she sometimes found it difficult, it led to personal growth and learning how to deal with failures along the way.

Her apprenticeship involved 1 day a week of study and 4 days working in a salon. She appreciated the hands-on training and the fact that she was constantly learning.

‘I’m so happy I’ve got my trade papers. I’m still growing. It’s early days, and now I’m focussed on advancing the skills I’ve learned,’ she said.

Alexia’s advice to people thinking about switching careers or considering a different training path is to give it a go. People don’t always need to stick to the plan they made when they graduated from high school.

‘You’re still learning when you leave school. You don’t even know who you are yet. And if you’re called to do something you just need to do it,’ she said.

‘Please go experiment. And trust your gut.’

The Victorian Government is helping more people discover pathways to rewarding jobs through the Free TAFE program. More than 80 courses – including the Certificate II in Salon Assistance – are available free from tuition fees. Visit Free TAFE for more Victorians.