Cosmetology Resume Workshop

Personal Information

• Personal information should always go at the top of your resume.

• This information should include your full name, your location, your phone number, your email address, and any professional social media accounts you may have (e.g., LinkedIn).

• Consider putting your name in larger font and/or bolding it to make it stand out from the rest of your text. You want your name to be the first thing a reviewer sees.

Objective Statement

• An objective statement, sometimes called an "executive summary" (though this term is not used as often anymore), is a short statement at the beginning of your resume that articulates who you are and your goals for employment.

• An objective statement should be two to three sentences and cover the following points:
• Your years of experience and what tasks you performed.
• Your most "sellable" trait and how you will contribute to your new role.
• Your relevant certifications, training, or education.

Sample Objective Statement

Here is an example objective statement from someone applying for positions in the cosmetology field:

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. 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.

Skills & Qualifications

• This section provides an overview of one's skills (and, if applicable, qualifications) using key words.

• You can and should include both "soft" and "hard" skills! The following example from a cosmetologist's resume demonstrates a mixture of both kinds of skills:

• Strong communication
• Skincare consultation
• Product recommendation
• Interpersonal skills
• Aesthetic laser use
• Creativity

Education

• For your education section, you should list the degrees, diplomas, or certificates you have obtained or, if applicable, are still working on.

• Always start with your most recent schooling!

• You should include the following information:
• Program title
• Name of school
• Location
• Years attended (if you are still enrolled in the program, you can list "present" as your end date)

Professional Experience

• Like your education section, your professional experience should be listed in reverse chronological order.

• Include the name of your position, the company's name, how long you worked there (use "present" for the end date if you're still working there), and a list of four to five bullet points describing, with strong, descriptive verbs, your duties for that position. (We'll talk more about word choice in a moment!)

• It is important to include only those professional experiences that relate to the position for which you're applying. That means there will most likely be jobs you will not end up listing on your resume.

Volunteer Experience, Awards, & Honors

• Volunteer experience and/or any awards/honors you have received are valuable to include on your resume, but they should be relevant to the position for which you're applying.

• Just as you would when listing your professional experience, any items listed in this section should include key information: the who, what, where, and/or when!

• If you don't have any items to list in this section, don't fret! It's completely optional.

Newcomer Stylist of the Year / 2019 / Professional Beauty Association

Beauty Salons Are Not One-Size-Fits-All!

Ask yourself the following questions:

• What kinds of treatments and/or procedures does the salon focus on?

Get to Know the Business

• Who is their specific clientele? Do they have one?

• Does the salon strive to provide a certain "experience" for their clients?

Show Them What You Can Do!

While you should know the specifics of the business to which you're applying, it is also important to demonstrate your versatility; after all, in the beauty world there are myriad specialties, and it is beneficial for potential employers to know all that you could bring to their business.

Prove Your Versatility

Successfully demonstrating your skills and versatility often comes down to the effective use of figures. This is called "quantifying your resume," which we'll get to in just a moment!

Spot the Difference(s):

Using Powerful Adjectives

Good at handling customers.

Adept at assisting clients and attending to customer needs.

Works well as part of a team and alone.

Productive in both team-oriented and independent settings.

Spot the Difference(s):

Using Descriptive Verbs

Worked at the front desk.

Scheduled client appointments (an average of 15 per day).

Did customer nails.

Examined and treated customer nails, collaborating with diverse clientele to create personalized designs.

The Big 3