"On exam day, I was a shaking wreck"

For a long time, she couldn't imagine earning her master craftsman's certificate. But then Nadine Knobloch overcame her exam anxiety and came top of the exam.

This article is part of the special feature on women in the trades.

She actually wanted to be a makeup artist. But more than 20 years ago, that was only possible with a hairdressing and cosmetics apprenticeship. So Nadine Knobloch, who comes from Kasel in the Ruwer Valley, decided to start with a hairdressing apprenticeship. "And I enjoyed it so much that I stuck with it. It's simply what I love and what I loved doing most, even with my dolls and later with my friends: hairdressing."  

She never would have imagined that after so many years in the profession, she would earn her master's degree. "No, I never wanted to do the master's training. My focus was on my personal life. And the plan was to build something together with my boyfriend." But life often doesn't work out the way you imagine. The relationship broke down, and the planned self-employment didn't come to fruition. "A good friend then gave me a push and encouraged me to finally get my master's degree," says 34-year-old Nadine Knobloch. "Thank goodness he did. Now I'm sitting here, a master, top of my exams. And that despite my immense exam anxiety." She has to laugh, shakes her head, and is incredibly happy about her success.

Lots of support from teachers

Nadine Knobloch has been working with Trier master hairdresser Kai Weinand for 19 years. And when he opened his own business on Sichelstrasse in Trier in 2007, she immediately joined him. "I've always been so lucky with the people I've been able to work with. If you want to be successful, you have to feel comfortable. Feel comfortable in a team."

She completed her apprenticeship at Klaus Müller Friseur on Nikolaus-Koch-Platz and then joined Müller's "Cutting Crew" on Fleischstraße. "Klaus Müller and my second boss at the time, Kai Weinand, taught me so much and invested a lot of money in my training, in workshops and seminars that I was able to attend. I'm very grateful for that. Especially in the hairdressing profession, you have to constantly learn new techniques and trends." All of this, along with her 19 years of professional experience, naturally paid off in the master's course. The theory wasn't difficult for her, but she was still terrified of failing the practical exam. "On the day itself, I was a shaking wreck, but my incredibly dedicated examiners and instructors, especially Silvia Kemmer and Lydia Peters, made me feel good from the very first moment. And then I stuck with it."

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In her free time she is a football fan

As a master hairdresser, Nadine Knobloch specializes in pageboy cuts, Great Lengths, and foil highlights. Cutting hair is something she loves. It's her personal favorite. Curling and perming are more of a requirement. "But actually, there's nothing I don't enjoy doing."

In her free time, she relaxes in the gym, with her friends and family, with music and concerts, and with football, her great love for 1. FC Kölle.

Master Craftsman Information Day Background: Anyone interested in obtaining their master craftsman's certificate and who has questions is invited to the Trier Chamber of Skilled Crafts on July 3rd. The Master Craftsman Information Evening will take place from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Campus Handwerk. You can register here. When registering, please be sure to indicate in which trade you wish to complete your master craftsman training.

DHB is now also available digitally! Simply click here and register for the digital DHB!

Further news from the district of the Chamber of Crafts Trier