Makeup Artist Resume

Makeup Artist Resume Template

Average makeup artist salaries in the US

The following table includes information from O*NET Resource Center by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license, this data is pulled from the most recent US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment & Earnings report (as of 10/16/2024), featuring the top states by use.

4 Professional Tips for Crafting a Makeup Artist Resume

The makeup industry is highly competitive, and good positions aren’t easy to get.

It’s vital to differentiate yourself from others when applying for makeup artist jobs. A thoughtful, targeted resume that showcases your unique talent is necessary to ensure your application stands out.

Whether you want to work in a salon or on the next blockbuster movie, these tips will help your makeup artist resume get noticed.

1. Make an impression with a bold makeup artist resume objective

The right introduction can make the difference between your resume landing you an interview and it ending up at the bottom of the pile.

There are a few different ways to start a resume, but if you’ve got your mind set on a specific position, a makeup artist resume objective is the best option. That’s because an objective allows you to highlight why you want to do makeup at that specific company.

Writing an objective is also a good choice if you’re writing a resume with no experience.

A well written resume objective can be broken down into three sentences that:

1. State your total amount (usually in years) of relevant work experience coupled with the duties performed
2. Mention the qualities and makeup artist qualifications that make you an ideal candidate for this particular position
3. Explain how you plan on applying your unique set of skills to benefit the salon

Here’s an example of a makeup artist resume objective on a resume:

The candidate explains how long they’ve worked as a makeup artist, what kind of education they’ve received, and what their professional strengths are, showing the hiring manager that they have both the experience and skills needed to excel as a Theatrical Makeup Artist.

2. Spotlight your makeup skills

As a makeup artist, you’ll need to know the ins and outs of makeup theory and application. But, a good makeup artist is skillful at getting along with clients and directors as well. With that in mind, you should include a mix of hard and soft skills on your resume.

Soft skills are qualities that allow you to interact well with others and influence how you approach tasks at work. These are skills that aren’t typically taught in a classroom setting.

Here are some soft skills to highlight on your makeup artist resume:

• Creativity
• Communication
• Time management
• Attention to detail
• Patience
• Flexibility
• Customer service skills
• Listening

On the other hand, hard skills are industry-specific abilities that are learned through training and education.

Here are hard skills to feature on your makeup artist resume:

• Wigs and prosthetics
• Color effects
• POS software
• Product knowledge
• Makeup design
• Makeup application techniques
• Skin care
• Sanitation and hygiene

Here’s an example of how to highlight makeup skills in the work experience section of your resume:

In this bullet point, the candidate demonstrates their attention to detail and ability to adapt to the needs of each client.

3. Make your work experience stand out

There are many routes to becoming a makeup artist, from getting a degree in theater studies to acquiring a certification in cosmetology.

However, regardless of whether you’re writing a freelance makeup artist resume or you’ve spent your career working at a salon, it’s your experience in the industry that will make hiring managers take notice of your job application.

The general structure for describing your work experience in bullet-point form includes three key elements:

1. An action verb
2. A relevant accomplishment
3. Hard numbers, where applicable

You don’t need to include hard numbers in every bullet point, but you should try to stick to this format whenever possible.

Here’s an example from our candidate’s makeup resume that contains these three elements:

The action verb instantly catches the hiring manager’s attention, while the hard number lends credibility to the candidate’s key accomplishment.

Using hard numbers makes your accomplishments quantifiable and effectively demonstrates to employers that you’re focused on results rather than just tasks.

4. Add a link to your makeup portfolio

In addition to describing your experience on your resume, create a portfolio to showcase examples of your best work. Award-winning makeup artist Tiyana Robinson describes how to create an effective portfolio in this video:

If you haven’t worked with paying customers yet, ask friends or family members if you can do their makeup and take photos to add to your portfolio.

Once you have a collection of photos you’re happy with, create a website for your portfolio and upload the pictures there, along with some information about yourself and your experience with makeup. This allows clients and employers to get a better idea of your skill set.

Now all you need to do is add the URL of your website to the contact information section of your resume.

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