Cosmetology Resume Examples
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Job Outlook
The employment demand for cosmetology is expected to decrease a slight 1% by 2029 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This small decline is chalked up to people choosing to perform more at-home treatments in recent years.
In order to secure the job you want in the cosmetology industry it’s still going to require that you have a resume that catches the eye of employers.
In order to make sure your resume looks attractive to employers, check out our professional writing tips.
3 Tips for Writing Cosmetology Resumes
Choose the right format for your resume
From working in the cosmetology industry, you’re well aware of the importance of having all your tools clean, ready and in the right place before you begin a procedure.
Well, the same goes for resumes. While pretty much all resumes are going to consist of the same parts, the way that you organize your resume, called its format, is essential to put your best foot forward.
The format you should choose for your resume depends on how long you’ve worked in the cosmetology industry.
If you’re a candidate with five years experience or more, you should use what’s called a chronological format, the most common type of resume format.
Chronological formats emphasize your work history, so this is a great resume format for cosmetologists with years of experience.
However, if you’re fresh out of cosmetology school, you should choose another format that better suits your level of experience.
Functional formats put the emphasis on your skills and training instead of your work experience as a smart way to detract from your lack of paid experience. If you have less than two years’ experience as a cosmetology professional, this format should be your choice.
A hybrid format is a combination of the functional and a chronological resume that gives balance to your work history and skills. If you’ve worked for more than two years in cosmetology, but less than five total, you should use this format.
Promote your skills
No two roles in cosmetology are identical, however there are skills that are considered useful for every single position across the field.
It’s essential that you include a few skills on your resume that highlight your strongest attributes
Sought-after skills for cosmetologists include:
- Manual dexterity
- Friendliness
- Active listening
- Color recreation
- Self-motivated
- Rapport building
- Gentleness
- Natural conversation
- Client growth
- Communication
- Client consultation
- Nurturing demeanor
- Customer service
- Attention to detail
- Corrections
- Blow outs
- Cutting
- Coloring
- Skin rejuvenation
- Product upsells
- Personal styling
- Event makeup
- Wedding hair
- Problem-solving
- Physical stamina
- Up-to-date styles
- All-natural routines
- Salon product knowledge, e.g., Aveda product knowledge or Bumble and bumble product knowledge
- Creative vision
- Color correction
- Touch-ups
- Organization
- Skincare expertise
- Scheduling
- Salon cleanliness
- Tool maintenance
- Procedural demonstrations
- Community-focused
- At-home care guidance
Incorporate six to eight critical skills into your resume that describe your top attributes.
Pay close attention to the job posting or ad — the phrases and keywords are clues to exactly what the employer is looking for in a candidate. Mirror the key phrases that best apply to your skill set.
Use a template to make your resume look clean
In the cosmetology world, it’s all about appearance and it’s no different with your resume.
If the appearance of your resume doesn’t look clean and easy-to-read with all the design elements working in harmony, you won’t make the cut to an interview.
That’s why you should use a resume template, which are created by professional designers to make your resume look great and up-to-date.
You’re an expert on how to make people look good — leave it to the expert designers to help you feel jazzed about the way your resume looks.
All that you have to do is pick one you like — JobHero has loads of great resume templates that you can use.
Even better, JobHero also features a Resume Builder that enables you to choose from a selection of templates, and makes it quicker and easier to create a sharp-looking resume.
The builder auto-suggests content based on how to phrase your salon, spa or barber work history to help make each bullet point impactful and engaging.
The Resume Builder is like having a resume expert looking over your shoulder to guide you step-by-step through the process.
Use the builder to get your resume ready in a few minutes so that your job competition doesn’t beat you to the cut.
FAQ
What should I put on my resume for cosmetology?
As with any resume, you will need the five main sections: contact information, professional summary or objective statement, skills, work history and education.
The main selling points of your cosmetology resume should be found in your skills and work experience sections.
They should take up the most space on your resume because that’s where you’re going to convince employers you are the right person for the job.
It’s good practice to try to put numbers in your resume so that employers get a full scope of what you’re capable of as a cosmetology professional.
For example, for a work history describing a hair stylist you could include figures like these:
Save the hot air for the blowouts — obviously you want to use flattering numbers, but never lie on your resume. It will only backfire to set unrealistic standards for yourself.
How should I include a cosmetology portfolio on a resume?
For many roles in cosmetology, especially those where you’re responsible for administering cuts, colors, skincare or makeup, an employer is going to want to see what your work looks like.
They may ask you to do a demonstration on a live model, but many employers will expect that you have a professional portfolio ready to display.
Many cosmetologists use an online portfolio in the form of a webpage or professionally-dedicated social media page with photographs of their work.
It’s less formal, but you can also include a file attachment with images of your work in the email with your cover letter and resume.
However, if you’ve got online work that you’re proud to show off to employers, it’s smart to include a link on either your resume or cover letter.
For your resume, you could either add the link underneath your email address in the contact section, or create an online portfolio section that includes the link at the bottom of your resume.
Something that looks like this:
Online Styling Portfolio
www.————–.com/hairstylesSee more of my work at JackCuts__415 @ Instagram
Some people choose instead to mention their portfolio in their cover letter which is also an acceptable practice.
Just make sure that you include a link somewhere so that the employer doesn’t have to wait for it. Otherwise, applicants who include links to their work will have an edge.
How do I list education on a cosmetology resume?
Many roles in cosmetology will require you to have your state-approved license in specialized education.
While some positions in cosmetology may be entry-level such as a receptionist or spa assistant and don’t require certifications of any kind, it’s still going to help you to include your education.
To list your education, include the name of the institution you attended, its city and state, and if you graduated, your major(s).
Here’s an example:
Coastline College Santa Cruz, CA
Associate Degree, Cosmetology
If you have graduated from college, it’s not advised to include your high school education.
Take note: It used to be standard to list the year you graduated. However, this is now discouraged because it can give an employer an indication of your age which can lead to potential hiring bias.
You should only list the dates you attended a school if you did not graduate as the means to show how long you attended.
What kind of work experience should I put on a cosmetology resume?
Try to keep all the work experience you include in a resume focused on cosmetology.
The closer your work history aligns with the new role, the more hiring managers are apt to give you serious consideration.
If you’re fresh out of school or new to cosmetology you could include work from other industries, but only if there are necessary skills culled from those jobs that would apply to work in cosmetology.
For example, if you worked in other jobs that demanded high levels of physical stamina, manual dexterity, customer service or rapport building, include these skills on your resume.
Don’t be afraid to use work experience that you did as an internship, understudy or assistant even if it was unpaid. It will pay off to include it in your resume.
Should I include a cover letter with my cosmetology resume?
Yes, even if it’s not mentioned in the job posting, it will only help you to include a cover letter when you submit your resume.
For one, including a cover letter is professional standard. If other candidates applying for the same job include a cover letter and you don’t, chances are that you’re not getting called for an interview.
A cover letter also gives you valuable space to further discuss your skills and work experience.
Moreover, you can better engage a hiring manager if you can weave a story about one of your cosmetology career highlights into the resume. It’ll help make you a more memorable job candidate by adding personality.
To get started, check out some of the great examples from our library of cosmetology cover letter samples.
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Last edited by: Gabriela Barcenas, CPRW, Content Writer II - October 28, 2024
Gabriela Barcenas
CPRW, Content Writer IIGabriela is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and career adviser. With 10 years of digital media experience and five years of resume writing expertise, her publication history includes fashion, education, travel, social justice, equitable design and career advice.
