Championships and online competitions: how to make the right choice?

The guest of the meeting on our PRO Hair&Makeup page was Aleksan Musayelyan , coach and judge of the ABC Ukrainian Hairdressing Championship, coach of the OMC European and World Hairdressing Championship, judge of the OMC European Championship.

We were able to talk about

• why should a master participate in Championships?
• what to choose: Championship or online competition?
• how to choose a nomination that will lead to victory?
• How to prepare for the Championship: on your own or with a coach?

To begin with, I would like to explain what a championship is in my understanding. Many perceive it as a competition, but this concept is much broader than an ordinary competition. This is a grandiose professional event where participants, their coaches, judges and simply hunters for inspiration and acquaintances gather. The championship is, first of all, a holiday in which people who love their work take part and exchange experiences.

Frankly speaking, winning the Championships is not at all necessary. The main thing is to take part, no matter how trivial it may sound. When you join the competitive movement, you discover a completely new world of hairdressing. You find yourself in a circle of those who really understand and can appreciate you.

The championship also teaches such things as a sense of composition. When you engage in competitive work, you acquire the skills to present it correctly. This is necessary for the integrity of understanding and worthy assessment. In fact, absolutely all Instagram artists use this presentation. The championship fosters this culture.

Preparation for the competition also has a positive effect on everyday work: its technique and cleanliness improve. Most of the world-famous masters are former participants in competitions and winners of Championships. They are the ones who develop discipline and, over time, help develop a recognizable handwriting.

What is the best way to prepare for the Championship: on your own or with a coach?

Coaches are not random people in the competitive world. They have also come a long way in this movement. At one time, someone also led them by the hand and showed them how to do everything correctly, what to hire.

It’s hard to take part in the Championship without a coach; you don’t understand which direction to go. This is the person who will help you walk the path and achieve the best results, and even more importantly, win together. After all, victory is always the common result of the coach and the participant.

Therefore, you definitely need to prepare for the Championship with a coach. A coach is important and needed. Someone should worry about you more than you do (laughs - editor's note).

What should a coach do if his student chooses to participate in a topic in which he is not strong? Should I try to convince him/her or support his/her choice?

It is a matter of trust between the participant and the coach. If a participant is absolutely confident and unshakable in his decision, and he only needs a coach to correct some mistakes, then maybe there is no point in interfering. This is the participant's experience. It's not so important to win as it is to gain this experience. If a person goes his own way, he will gain more competencies.

Coaching is not a one-time event. It's more like a long term perspective. Today the student will just take part, but next year, for example, the same difficult nomination will already become his strong point. If the participant really likes the nomination, then let him take part, and the coach will help him with this.

But! If a participant comes with the mindset of “I want to win and get results,” then it is important to trust the coach and choose your strengths.

How can a participant choose a nomination that will lead to victory?

My personal opinion is that everything is ruled by commerce, one way or another. You should always choose something that can present/advertise you, or something that you can use in the future and apply it in your work.

If a participant is not drawn to a specific nomination, then it is better to take exactly what can be sold and used in the future. If you are a master of hairstyles, then why take the barber category for the competition? Or if you specialize in haircuts, then why stop at color? In this case, do what you offer on the market.

How to choose a Championship for a beginner? What should you choose: the Championship or an online competition?

My opinion: you should always start with something simple. Step-by-step. This is how you “work up your appetite.” Online championships, which were born during lockdowns, are a few of the advantages of the pandemic. And just a great opportunity for beginning masters to prove themselves without the additional effort required for offline competitions.

Because it is quite difficult for a novice master to organize himself to participate: to come, find a model, supervise the process of creating an image, and so on.

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