Cosmetology Resume Sample

Personal appearance is a key concern for most of us. Cosmetologists must exhibit professionalism, creativity, and concern to earn the trust of their clients so they can address their most intimate matters. Thus, writing a resume that reflects this is vital.

Follow these tips to learn how to write a great resume that can take you places in the beauty industry.

Tip #1. Focus on what potential employers actually do

All beauty salons are not created equal—some focus on a particular clientele, while others have a broad customer base. Additionally, some concentrate on providing skincare treatments, whereas others mostly style hair.

Because the cosmetology industry is so diverse, you should tailor your resume to the company you’re applying to. If you know that it primarily provides great manicures and pedicures, emphasize your experience in nail care. By contrast, if you’re primarily interested in applying to hair care roles, advertise your abilities in that domain.

Consider the nature of your target company’s clientele. High-end establishments expect their employees to tend to clients attentively and provide them with the top-tier service that they’ve come to expect.

You could also try highlighting your ability to anticipate clients’ needs and desires before they are stated.

By contrast, a company with a broad customer base might want to hire someone who has great interpersonal skills who can quickly build a rapport with clients. Make sure you get a feel for the establishment you’re applying to before you send out your resume, and you’ll surely make a greater impression on your future employer.

Tip #2. Use a resume objective to showcase your value

The first thing your hiring manager will see is your resume objective, so it’s vital that you make a fantastic first impression with it. A resume objective (or career objective) is typically a three-sentence statement (sometimes shortened to two sentences) structured as follows:

1. A sentence mentioning your years of experience and what tasks you performed.
2. A sentence conveying your most sellable trait and how you will contribute to your new role.
3. A sentence listing your relevant certifications, training, or education.

Take a look at Olivia Wright’s career objective and how it showcases her value:

Certified cosmetologist with 10+ years of experience providing beauty solutions to clients, including hair, skin, and nail solutions, and providing quality advice on cosmetic and beauty product use.

First, Olivia Wright immediately highlights her skills and knowledge with her very first word, “certified.” By doing so, the hiring manager knows straight away that they are dealing with a qualified candidate.

Second, Olivia lists the most crucial tasks she performed in her previous roles that her new employer will be seeking.

Our candidate immediately reveals that she has broad knowledge about the industry by listing all of the services that clients—and employers—desire. Olivia demonstrates that not only can she give clients a great makeover but also provide them with the guidance and know-how to select, evaluate, and apply products and techniques independently.

In the second (and in this instance, final) sentence of her career objective, Olivia clarifies her best attributes:

I aspire to leverage my record of high-quality customer service and my aesthetic laser operator certification to provide your clients with unforgettable beauty experiences.

Here, she emphasizes two pivotal things that she knows the hiring manager will be looking for: a concrete skillset (i.e., a great customer-friendly personality) and a much sought-after certification in the beauty industry (i.e., her aesthetic laser operator certification). It’s imperative to include this certification, because it immediately separates your resume from those of less qualified candidates.

Tip #3. Demonstrate your professional versatility—and provide proof

The professional experience section of your resume allows you to advertise what you’ve achieved in the past. In the beauty industry, there are numerous specialties, and hirers are interested to find out what roles you can fulfill in their beauty salons.

Check out how Olivia highlights her abilities in diverse specialties:

• Examine and treat clients’ hair, skin, and nails.

In addition, it’s vital that you not only tell the hiring manager what you’re capable of but that you prove it too. This is called quantifying your success. In other words, instead of stating that you have successfully sold cosmetics to your clients, quantify it by providing hard numbers.

For example, Olivia provides great product recommendations to her clients. In fact, she instigated a 5% increase in sales through her recommendations.

• Recommend cosmetics, lotions, and gels to clients an explain how to use them effectively. Sales are 23% higher during my sessions compared to my colleagues’.

Additionally, she emphasizes the fact that she has experience applying her aesthetic laser operator certification in real-world situations:

• Perform approximately 10 laser procedures per week for diverse client needs, including hair removal, tattoo removal, acne treatment, and wrinkle amelioration.

Then, to showcase her leadership and business organization skills, she notes the following:

• Train and oversee new hires (over 10 to date).
• Schedule client appointments (a daily average of 12).

Figures allow hiring managers to see exactly what they stand to gain by hiring you. They can use these figures alongside their own estimates to plan future growth. Moreover, by providing these insights into what you’ve handled in the past, you can prove to your potential boss that you can deal with anything.

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