Barbers
Career Overview
Career Description: Provide barbering services, such as cutting, trimming, shampooing, and styling hair, trimming beards, or giving shaves.
Industry: Personal Care and Service
Other Job Titles for Barbers:
- Cooks, Fast Food
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
- Cooks, Short Order
- Counter Attendants, Cafeteria, Food Concession, and Coffee Shop
- Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants
- Manicurists and Pedicurists
- Counter and Rental Clerks
- Retail Salespersons
- Service Station Attendants
Personality Profile
- Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
- Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
- Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
- Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
- Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
- Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
- First Interest High-Point: Primary-Rank Descriptiveness
- Second Interest High-Point: Secondary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness
- Third Interest High-Point: Tertiary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness
Common Work Tasks
- Clean and sterilize scissors, combs, clippers, and other instruments.
- Cut and trim hair according to clients' instructions and/or current hairstyles, using clippers, combs, hand-held blow driers, and scissors.
- Drape and pin protective cloths around customers' shoulders.
- Question patrons regarding desired services and haircut styles.
- Clean work stations and sweep floors.
- Record services provided on cashiers' tickets or receive payment from customers.
- Order supplies.
- Shape and trim beards and moustaches, using scissors.
- Stay informed of the latest styles and hair care techniques.
- Suggest treatments to alleviate hair problems.
- Shampoo hair.
- Keep card files on clientele, recording notes of work done, products used and fees charged after each visit.
- Perform clerical and administrative duties such as keeping records, paying bills, and hiring and supervising personnel.
- Curl, color, or straighten hair, using special chemical solutions and equipment.
- Apply lather; and shave beards, or neck and temple hair contours, using razors.
- Measure, fit, and groom hairpieces.
- Recommend and sell lotions, tonics, or other cosmetic supplies.
- Provide face, neck, and scalp massages.
- Provide skin care and nail treatments.
- Identify hair problems, using microscopes and testing devices, or by sending clients' hair samples out to independent laboratories for analysis.
Emerging Tasks
- Evaluate animals for trainability and ability to perform.
- Train handlers and dogs to work as a guide for the visually impaired.
Work Activities
- Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
- Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
- Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
- Communicating with Persons Outside Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
- Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
- Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
- Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
- Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
- Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
- Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment: Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
- Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
- Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
- Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
- Interacting With Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
- Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
- Monitoring and Controlling Resources: Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
- Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
- Performing General Physical Activities: Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
- Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
- Provide Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
- Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment: Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
- Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
- Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
- Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
- Selling or Influencing Others: Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
- Staffing Organizational Units: Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
- Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
- Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Detailed Work Activities
- advise clients or customers
- clean rooms or work areas
- collect payment
- cut or permanently wave hair
- determine customer needs
- dress wigs
- inventory stock to ensure adequate supplies
- operate cleaning equipment
- order or purchase supplies, materials, or equipment
- provide customer service
- receive customer orders
- sell merchandise
- shave facial hair
- use barbering techniques
- use hair, cosmetic, or nail care instruments
- use health or sanitation standards
- provide customer service in surface transportation
- provide guests with assistance
- provide information about facilities
- supply guests with information or services
- transport passengers or cargo
- use freight shipping or storage procedures
- use oral or written communication techniques
- provide information about facilities
- receive customer orders
- recognize customer intoxication
- schedule guest recreational activities
- sell merchandise
- serve food or beverages
- service vehicle with water, fuel, or oil
- stock or organize goods
- use cash registers
- use knowledge of food handling rules
- use oral or written communication techniques
- verify ticket or pass
Tools & Technology Used on the Job
- Corel WordPerfect
- Desktop computers
- Luggage carts
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Word
- Motorized carts
- Multi-line telephones
- Paging systems
- Passenger vans
- Passenger vehicles
- Personal computers
- Two way radios
Education, Training & Experience
Overall Experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.
Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree.
Examples
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include funeral directors, electricians, forest and conservation technicians, legal secretaries, interviewers, and insurance sales agents.
Salary & Wages
- Average hourly wage (2007) -$11.31
- Average annual wage (2007) - $23,510.00
Projected Employment Growth
- Projected growth (2006-2016): 1.07%
- Projected need (2006-2016): 644
- Employment (2006): 60,034




