Alexia Smith found herself pondering her future over a simple cup of coffee. Despite embarking on a university degree post-high school, she soon realized that academic life wasn’t her true calling.
“I had voices in my head saying, ‘Do you really want to be a quitter?’ It was such a hard decision to make,” Alexia confessed. “I was so young and thought I had to have my life sorted. But I wasn’t happy, and I knew I just had to let it go. Life is all about trial and error; you’re meant to try different things.”
After leaving university, Alexia took a full-time retail job while she searched for her next step. Little did she know, her morning routine of grabbing an oat milk coffee from her favorite barista would open the door to a new career.
The barista, noticing something special in Alexia, mentioned that his wife was looking for an apprentice at her hairdressing salon. Intrigued, Alexia decided to seize the opportunity. “I’m always about making the most of opportunities when they come to me,” she said. “So I applied, did a trial run—and I loved it.”
Transitioning from the fast-paced retail environment, Alexia found joy in the slower, more personal interactions of hairdressing. “I love talking to people and connecting with them. I can’t believe I found a job where I could do that all day!” she exclaimed.
Her apprenticeship, though challenging, proved to be a period of significant personal and professional growth. Balancing one day a week of study with four days in the salon, Alexia thrived on the hands-on training and the constant learning environment.
“I’m so happy I’ve got my trade papers. I’m still growing. It’s early days, and now I’m focused on advancing the skills I’ve learned,” she said.
To those contemplating a career switch or a different training path, Alexia offers encouraging advice. “You’re still learning when you leave school. You don’t even know who you are yet. And if you’re called to do something, you just need to do it,” she said. “Please, go experiment. And trust your gut.”