Life of a stylist: jake unger on being head of education at 30

What was Jake's journey into the hair industry?

I initially started as a barber in a barbershop in Kent. About six months into my training, I decided I wanted to explore both men’s and women’s hair. I noticed an ad for HOB Salons in Baker Street. I liked their location and ethos so I moved there. It was a big decision for a 16-year old. I was fortunate to be in a creative environment from a young age and I have always been encouraged to enter competitions. My competitions journey took three years, but I eventually won Gold at the Wella TrendVision final. After that, I won the People’s Choice Award and became a member of the award-winning artistic team and I’m the current winner of the Fellowship Snapshot Image of the year. Entering awards has given me a lot of confidence, but it also meant the HOB family believed in me.

What is Jake Unger's present role?

My main role is to uphold HOB’s standards and help implement fundamental techniques throughout our salon network. I teach our internal staff regularly, put together courses for our international students, as well as courses for us to teach when we visit other countries. I was fortunate to be Akin’s assistant when I was starting out, so I was based at the academy rather than in a salon. It wasn’t a journey I was expecting but I am happy it took me in that direction. My main aim was to be an educator, so to be head of education is something that makes me really proud.

What are the pros and cons of Jake's role?

The great thing about my job is being able to influence the growth of people through different stages of their career, whether it’s assistants or creative directors. I also get to travel the world and not many people can say that. The downside is the unsocial hours, late nights and weeks away from home, but it’s worth it.