Student Success – Daisy Makes Amazing Strides In Career After Iver Academy

As one of the leading Independent Further Education training schools in the country for makeup, hair and SFX artists, The Iver Academy offers incredible opportunities. The academy is industry recognised and accredited by ScreenSkills Select, and we take great pride in providing an unrivalled pathway for all our graduates into the screen industries.

In this post, we take you through the story of one of our amazing recent graduates, Daisy Holubowicz, who has started out on a thrilling professional journey following on from her time at The Iver Academy.

 The first steps

From early on in life, Daisy knew that she wanted to do something creative and always enjoyed doing makeovers on anyone that would let her when she was a child. She made the decision that she wanted a career in the screen industries at 17, and following some research Daisy attended an open day at Iver. The open day was very valuable as she was able to talk one-to-one with tutors to find out information about the courses and opportunities available, and the fact that the class sizes are small was another great selling point.

Daisy signed up for the Advanced Certificate in Makeup and Hair Artistry and was thrilled with her choice, saying: “I think even if I wasn’t originally set to do the full course I would have definitely extended as a lot of those skills cross over to all aspects of the hair and makeup industry.”

 The experience

Once Daisy started her course at Iver, she never looked back, loving every moment of the experience, saying: “It was wonderful! All the tutors were fantastic. They always made sure to explain the makeup and hair techniques in-depth and check that everyone understood as we went along which was a great reassurance.”

She added that the people and the support received by staff enhanced the experience even further: “The class I was in was full of lovely people who I am still friends with to this day. The full-time staff were always so supportive if you needed reassurance or advice throughout the course and when you went on to work through the agency.”

There is a hugely diverse range of subjects covered in the Advanced Certificate, which always helps our students to develop a broad range of skills whilst also being able to find their niche, as Daisy suggests: “My favourite subject was the fashion module, I loved learning the latest hair and makeup trends and being taught by people who were currently in the industry too.

“There were lots of fun moments during the course, but I would have to say portfolio week was the most fun as everyone was full of high energy and creativity during those weeks. I loved creating my own looks on the models and also seeing what my other classmates had created.”

The career

Following her graduation, Daisy has pursued her passion which was sparked by the fashion modules at Iver Academy, as well as working on exciting film and television projects: “I have worked with numerous actors and actresses since graduating in the press junket circuits, such as Battle of the Sexes, Dunkirk and Bohemian Rhapsody. I have also done hair and makeup for magazines such as Men’s G, Country & Town House and Esquire Italia. I have also done grooming, hair and makeup for award shows such as The BAFTAs, Empire Awards and The Evening Standard Awards.”

When asked what her favourite project has been so far, Daisy came up with a cracker, saying: “There are so many jobs that I have thoroughly enjoyed but if I had to name one it was probably assisting doing makeup on the singer James Bay for his music video “Pink Lemonade”. It was my first time working in the music industry and it was such an enjoyable job to be a part of!”

Clearly, the coronavirus pandemic has provided more than its fair share of challenges to all industries, but as Daisy suggests it might have increased some positive habits in the hair and makeup sector, saying: “I feel the importance of cleanliness and hygiene has increased. Luckily with my kit and how I work, I have always made a conscious effort to keep everything as sterile as possible, but for the industry, I definitely think this will be a changing point. I think it would make sense to always wear a mask when working as you are in such close proximity to the client.”

In terms of her current career and the enjoyment she is taking from it, Daisy said: “I really enjoy working on press junkets as they are always different – different locations, different people, different atmospheres. You get the chance to meet and work with well-known actors which is an amazing opportunity. My favourite thing about working in this industry is meeting such creative people and being able to work with such renowned clientele.”

If you’ve been inspired by Daisy’s story and are hoping to pursue a career in the screen industry, then why not look through the courses we offer or contact us directly to find out more.