A County Derry woman has returned home to showcase just how far her North West education took her.
North West Regional College graduate Nuala Mullan spent the last three years working alongside some of the biggest names the beauty industry, including L’Oréal head office.
Returning home, she has now delivered a masterclass at the college’s Co. Derry Limavady campus.
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Nuala, from Castlerock, now works as a Spa Therapist in the Galgorm Resort in Ballymena, but during her time in Australia she worked in a private spa providing treatments for some of the world’s top celebrities.
She says the skills she learned while studying Level 2 & 3 Beauty Therapy at NWRC were the key to her success in the Beauty Industry, and this week she returned to her former college to deliver a talk in the college’s salon.
Nuala said: "I can’t say who they are because of confidentiality but when I was in Australia I got to work with some really famous celebrities, as well as the cast of Married at First Sight Australia. It was a brilliant experience.
"The skills I learned while in college in Limavady were so important to my success. At NWRC I participated in Worldskills where I was placed first in Northern Ireland and also won the BEA UK Vocational student of the year in Manchester. I won the Eve Taylor Student of the Year and also studied Fashion and Photographic make-up."
Nuala said that when she achieved an A and 2Bs in her A-Levels, people were surprised when she decided to study Beauty Therapy.
She said: "I had already completed a night class at NWRC and I knew I’d be back. People were surprised when they heard I wasn’t going to university, but I decided I was going to train in the career I loved. I think the schools should give more information about further education colleges because there are so many career paths available."
After spending time working in Melbourne, Darwin, and Sydney for brands such as L’Oréal, La Roche Posay, and EllaBache, Nuala has now returned to her native Castlerock and recently took up a position with the four-star resort the Galgorm.
She said: "I feel lucky to be doing the career I love, and I would say to anyone in my position who is thinking about a career in beauty – don’t feel pressured to go to uni. I have a lot of friends who went to university and they are not working in the subjects that they studied.
"There’s a stigma around working in Beauty Therapy, but it’s a brilliant career. To me it’s not just a job, it’s a dream career."
More information on the NWRC Open Days can be found here.
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