Diana Jalo – Junior Hair Stylist

Diana's interest in hairdressing is both a cultural and personal interest... Growing up half African meant she was around a lot of women who were always styling their hair. From a young age Diana taught herself to braid and from there, her love for all things hair grew. 
She now works at Sydney's most popular hair salons, Crown Hair in trendy Darlinghurst.

What did you study to and what are the steps you took to become a hair stylist?

My school offered a TVET course, which allowed me to study at TAFE as an extra elective and get the basics of the Cert III out of the way. I was then an apprentice for 3 years, 2 of which I was studying at TAFE for. Because of my TVET course, I had already learned most of the basics such as shampooing and basic assistant tasks, which was a great advantage.

What did you want to be when you were younger?

A singer!

When did you first know you wanted to work in hair and what inspired you?

Doing my own hair and wanting to do it better. Being around a lot of women who needed hair done constantly was another source of inspiration and interest for me growing up. My family is African, so my sister and cousins would always be getting relaxers or braids.

Explain a typical day in the salon

There are very rarely two days that are the same in hairdressing! Although simply put, a typical day starts with setting up the salon, ensuring all clients are comfortable and starting either helping someone else by mixing colour and so on or on my own clients.

What’s the most interesting thing that’s happened to you in your career?

Assisting session stylist Michele McQuillan on the Westfield campaign was interesting, as it was great to learn from Michele and get a taste for how an advertising campaign works. Cutting an afro for my apprentice show was great fun and a completely different experience.

Name the best and worst parts of your job

Making someone feel good about how they look and getting to create new styles are some of the best parts of the job. Jobs in customer service can be hard, especially as you’re dealing with people’s vanity, which can require some sensitivity. It also requires you to have good communication skills, which takes practice.

What do you wish someone had told you before starting in this industry?

That the job requires a lot of practice, but that practice makes it all the more rewarding in the end. Things you couldn’t imagine doing when you start out, end up possible too!

Name a career highlight

Meeting other amazing hairdressers in the industry and always having the opportunity to learn something new, that’s usually creative and fun.

What’s next for you?

Perfecting my skills in both styling and cutting.

Connect with Diana on Instagram and check out some of her awesome work. 

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