Thank you to dog grooming student, Jon Wilkinson, for talking to us about his student experience at The College of Animal Welfare...
I studied level 2 dog grooming last year and began the level 3 dog grooming in January which I am due to complete in October.
My experience has been great. Studying one day a week alongside gaining work experience in a salon, and opening my own location at home has been a great pace for learning compared to others who I know who have opted for a four – five week full time course. It gives plenty of time to cement the learning as well as gain practical experience with the dogs.
In Dec 2023 I left my role as a Regional Account Manager in finance to retrain in dog grooming. I wanted to leave the corporate “rat race” and pursue a career that I would enjoy and would be able to run my own business again. Shortly after deciding this, (Jan 24) I suffered a cardiac arrest whilst playing football, spent a month in hospital and therefore had to postpone any learning for six months whilst in recovery. I started the level 2 course a few months later and finished it in December, then started the level 3 the following January and am due to complete the course in October.
My biggest achievement? I guess it’s the whole thing. Retraining at my age (mid 40’s), was never going to be easy. I have ADHD to boot which is a blessing and a curse when it comes to studying, however I guess I’m most proud of the progress I’ve made. Completing the studying to become a qualified groomer, starting the business and attracting, building and retaining clients is all a part of rebuilding my career and if I take a step back, that’s my biggest achievement, not one specific example of doing well in the course.
My advice to others would be to choose a course that enables a steady learning pace rather than a full time three-five week intensive course. A huge part of the learning is experience, which comes over time. My initial plan would have been to take on a part time job rather than open the business full time which would also be good advice I would imagine for someone starting up in this trade. This should give them time to build organically, at a sustainable rate without the pressures of needing the full-time income from the get go.
Interested in studying to become a dog groomer? Check out our City & Guilds dog grooming courses.