Top 5 Things to Consider When Choosing a Nail Course (Without Getting Overwhelmed)
Embarking on a nail tech career is an exciting step, especially if you’re ready to combine creativity, flexibility, and a bit of independence! With so many courses out there, it’s natural to feel nervous about picking the right one, but here’s how to choose a program that meets your goals and makes you feel supported from day one.
1. Training Hours Matter (And Why “Quick Fix” Courses Aren’t Always the Best)
A lot of people make the mistake of looking at a) price and b) free stuff without looking at the one thing they’re actually there for – the training!
It’s tempting to go for the quickest, cheapest option, but you want a course that equips you with the knowledge and confidence to succeed. Think of training hours as an investment in yourself.
The quality of Non-NZQA Courses varies greatly in New Zealand. I’ve seen claims that you can work from home after just a 3-hour afternoon workshop, which is, in my opinion, irresponsible and unsafe.
At the other end of the scale, our Foundation Certificate in Nail Technology is the longest non-NZQA Course I know of, with 130 hours of pre-recorded demos and 80 hours of live mentoring.
When it comes to value for money, the cost per hour of training is important too. Deduct the kit value (if included) from the total cost of the course and divide what’s left by the number of hours of training you get. Hourly rates seem to vary from $30-50 (Ours is $33.75 if you only consider the live lessons and $12.85 if you consider live and pre-recorded combined) so shop around. Imagine comparing $1000 for 5 hours of training and $2000 for 30 hours training – the lower total isn’t always the best value.
Ultimately what’s right is a course that is comprehensive, safe, and fits your budget. This is just food for thought.
2. What’s really in your kit?
We all like free stuff. I have 100% booked tickets to a movie I didn’t have any interest in because there was a goody bag and free wine. BUT sometimes students are choosing a course over the size of the ‘free’ kit that comes with it… and is ‘free’ product really worth it?
The answer is – sometimes.
When you receive a kit from a course provider, MOST of the time they are hoping you will get hooked on their product and top up forever-more. This is great if you know you love that brand, but most techs I know went through 3-4 brands before finding one that worked for their preferences.
On the other hand, I’ve heard of Polytech courses supplying students with random brands anyone can buy off an Instagram ad, which is increeeedibly unsafe.
You also need to check whether you are expected to use your own product during class before getting excited about ‘free’.
Generally you’re either getting what you NEED (and then expected to use it in class – this is true for Monaco) OR the course will load you up with one of EVERYTHING they sell. You may not end up offering every service you learn – so having one of EVERY colour of PolyGel (or whatever else), isn’t super helpful.
Really look at the kit list to see whether you understand what you’re buying – and if you don’t? That’s ok! You will learn during your course. Just don’t be enticed by volume in this case.
None of this means kits are bad – just to weigh up the pros and cons.
At Monaco, we keep things flexible. A kit is available but optional. You can use any range you want as long as it is pro-only (see why that’s important here).
3. Does the Educator Genuinely Focus on Training?
As we discussed earlier, you are not required to complete NZQA Qualifications to work in the nail industry in New Zealand. Because of this, the quality of the resulting available courses varies – a LOT.
Most courses in New Zealand are run by wholesale product distributors – we ourselves distribute Artistic Nail Design and Be Creative products.
What I want you to consider though when choosing a course is where the course providers priorities lie – is the course provider educating just to be able to sell product? Or are they selling product to supplement their training?
Neither is bad as long as, again, you are ok with it. It’s something to consider, not a judgement.
At Monaco we started training long before we ever started supplying and we only started distributing after many requests from our students to help with their kits. Three distributors sell the same products as us in New Zealand and it’s not our primary source of income.
I chose to distribute Artistic because it’s what I personally use and have used for well over a decade so it made sense – but when we teach, we make sure to the best of our abilities that you know enough to be able to use any product.
You’re welcome to provide your own product as long as the core products are from a professional-only range and some of our educators not only use different products but distribute other products. Yes, we are SO non-competitive that we have ‘competitors’ working for us.
4. Is this course enough to meet your goals?
Personally I would hope that anyone using professional nail products in New Zealand is qualified to the full extent of their ability and budget – but at the very least, align your course choice with your goals.
Do you want to work in a top salon, start your own home business, or simply do your own nails safely?
The course you choose should help you reach that vision.
This isn’t to just brag and convince you to choose us – we’re not right for everyone.
If you want to work in a salon, think of your DREAM job and call them. Ask who they would recommend you train with – and ask for a couple of options so you still have room to weigh up your personal priorities too.
If you want a home salon, make sure your course (yes, like ours) is nationally recognised. We get a lot of students RE-training with us because the quick, cheap and easy course they chose was not enough to get them access to professional-only products or upskilling.
In some cities, you need a Health License to run a nail salon of any kind (including mobile and from-home). Monaco Grads have zero issues getting these but that isn’t the case for every course.
Not all courses are made equal but neither are all Nail Techs, and there is something out there to suit every goal.
5. Worried You Might “Not Be Good Enough”? We’ve Got You!
On the Pre-Training Surveys our students fill out, over half our newbies say their biggest concern is not being good enough.
You guys put SO MUCH pressure on yourselves and we DO understand – it’s a financial commitment, a time commitment, and a commitment to prioritise something that has no guaranteed outcome, instead of friends, family or anything else.
Here’s the thing though – EVERYTHING can be taught. Nail Technology is a technical skill based in science, with a wrong way, a right way, and a few occasions that breaking the rules is both safe and fun.
We have had people pass assessments first try but we have also had someone resit twice a week for several months until she mastered Acrylic and finally passed. Maybe you are a nail prodigy but maybe you need to plan for a couple of hours one-on-one when you hit a speed bump. Maybe you need to spread your course out over 2 years to allow enough practice time.
What I KNOW you need, is to lower your expectations of yourself. We don’t just stick tips on and paint pretty things. We engineer plastics at a molecular level and bond them with the human body. It’s not rocket science but it’s also not always easy.
At Monaco, you can repeat classes as many times as you like, and lots of people do. Pick the lessons that cover the things you were least confident in and come on back! You can also resit your exams as many times as you need to, book in for one-on-ones online or with our in-person Training Partners, and ask a thousand questions a day in our community-focussed Facebook Group Chats.
We’ve never had someone fail unless, rather than ‘failing’, they gave up along the way. You DO control the outcome of this endeavour, you just don’t control how long it’s going to take to achieve that outcome.
Summing it all up
Yes, I’m hoping you see how much thought and effort we put into the courses we offer here at Monaco, and I’d love for you to join us.
BUT
Mostly, I want to see the standard of education and quality in our industry improve all round the country and so above all else I just want you to know what to look for when choosing the right course for you.
Choose a course that has good value for money, look at the cost per hour of training, find out how much of your kit you get to take home and how much of it you will actually use.
Make sure your Educator has the ability to help you reach your goals and that your personal priorities and values align with theirs.
IF you think Monaco might be that place, I highly recommend starting with our Course Finder Quiz or our Free 5-Day Nail Tech Launchpad.
If not, you can still message us for support and advice any time you need it – we’re all in this together!
