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Editor's Blog

Beauty Schools Prepare You to Be Your Own Boss

Published: August 03, 2008
by Rosanne Ullman

When you graduate from beauty school and become a licensed cosmetologist, you’ll have nearly a 50/50 shot of being self-employed rather than working for someone else. In 2007, 46% of the 1.7 million active professional cosmetologists

worked for themselves, according to “Job Demand in the Cosmetology Industry,” a report released late last year by the National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS).

That figure includes salon owners and freelancers but primarily what we refer to in the industry as “independent contractors.” When you work independently within a salon, if you do hair you lease a station with a chair; for nails, you have a table; and if you’re an esthetician you rent a room. Regional trends play into this, with west coast cosmetologists most likely to be self-employed.

Beauty schools are responding to this reality by offering more business-related courses. For example, the Empire School in Shamokin Dam, Pennsylvania, has partnered with nearby Bucknell University to hold business classes onsite at the cosmetology school to provide students with the skills they’ll need to run a small business. That includes everything from negotiating a lease, securing insurance and following government regulations to marketing your business, handling the accounting and purchasing products and equipment. And what if you become a salon employee instead? You may not be buying furniture, but you’re still in charge of getting business into your chair or your room. Any business training you receive will be a huge help to you, I promise.

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Nail Technician at Heart? Join the Blogfest

Published: July 29, 2008
by Rosanne Ullman

I know that for some of you nails are the true passion, and I encourage you to find a nail technology school or a nails program within a general cos

metology school that provides you with the education to go have a fun career doing nails. I guess it’s no surprise that girls who enjoy all things nail are out there blogging. There’s one blogger in particular I’d like to introduce to you if you don’t already know her.

Michelle Mismas is an Ohio accountant who started blogging in early 2007 about her fixation on nails. She describes her blog, All Lacquered Up, as “the premier source for nail polish reviews and news on the web. I’m Michelle, a self-proclaimed lacquer fanatic and your guide to nail info, tips and tricks.”

I learned about Michelle through the people at China Glaze, who picked up on Michelle because of her particular affection for China Glaze products. But Michelle doesn’t blog to push products; she talks about the polishes and accessories in a very unbiased manner. She really wants to help people to have beautiful nails. If you’re thinking about enrolling in nail technology school, I think you’ll enjoy the discussions. Michelle gets lots of comments—lucky her ;)—so if you want to add your voice to the discussion you’ll have plenty of company. Another website to check out just for the visuals is nailpassion.com. If you have an opinion on how long is too long for nail length, leave me a comment!

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Krissy Hunts Down Cosmetology School Tuition

Published: July 25, 2008
by Rosanne Ullman

When we left Krissy Simmons, she had been accepted to the January 2007 program at CHIC University of Cosmetol

ogy an Empire School in Portage, Michigan, and was preparing to quit her full-time job in order to accommodate the five-days-a-week, 9-5 type of schedule that beauty school typically requires. Switching to part-time work, Krissy anticipated major problems paying her tuition. Her parents were unable to help since two of her three younger siblings were also in college. To sort out her options, Krissy made an appointment to meet with Don, CHIC’s head of enrollment.

“Don was the most helpful, understanding, approachable guy!” Krissy recalls. “And let me tell you what he had to deal with every day:)! I didn’t qualify for hardly any financial aid, but Don helped me get as much out of the available student loans as possible. I took out approximately $13,000 in student loans sent to me in quarterly checks. About $9,000 paid for school, with the rest helping me pay bills. Later on, in June 2007, I would finally get a little help from Uncle Sam. Until then, I was on my own.”

At 24, Krissy was used to her independence but knew that moving back home would save her beaucoup bucks. Her parents seemed supportive of her decision to enroll in beauty school, but would her request to live at home change their attitude? Next time Krissy will let us know how this played out.

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Hey, Future Beauty School Students: Check Out This Cool Webinar

Published: July 21, 2008
by Rosanne Ullman

I’m always looking for places you can go for information about attending beauty school or entering a cosmetology career, and I just found a great one for you. (Yes, it’s free!) Go to the salon coaching site www.crystalfocus.com and click on the “Wild Wednesdays” tab. Next, click on the “Upcoming Events” link and then on Choose Your Career, Pick Your Path, set to air live this Wednesday, July 23, at 7pm eastern time. Fill out your email address, and Crystal Focus will send you a dial-in phone number and access code so you can listen to two interviews live over any phone.

The first interview is w

ith Jim Cox, executive director of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools. Jim will talk about all of the opportunities you’ll have as a professional cosmetologist—beyond just salon work. The second interview is with Paul Barry, who’s very active in staging student hair styling competitions so that you don’t have to wait until you graduate to show your talent. I’ve spoken with both Jim and Paul, and they have a lot of information to share!

I also was talking to the interviewer, Shelly Kovach, who explained that even if you miss the live broadcast you can hear the interview later over your computer or download it as a podcast. You can do the same with past “Wild Wednesday” broadcasts. While you might enjoy them, too, this week’s topic is specifically of interest to current and future beauty school students. I hope you enjoy it!

Photo: Salon coaches Shelly Kovach (left) and Kristi Valenzuela of Crystal Focus

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When Parents Resist Your Cosmetology School Plans

Published: July 17, 2008
by Rosanne Ullman

When you announce to your parents your plans to attend cosmetology school, they may not get on board with it right away. If they believe beauty school is not your best path, you may be tempted to give up on the idea and avoid a big fight.

However, I think you can change their minds.

Your parents don’t want to pay, or you to pay, for something that you won’t end up using. If this is the second or third post-high school program you’ve tried, parents will understandably be skeptical. Also, they want any further education to enable you to make a living, and they hope you’ll be happy doing your life’s work.

Please assure your parents that a cosmetology career can reap you a very good income. Requiring only about a year of school, a cosmetology degree is well worth the expense. Even if you don’t go into salon work, there are so many other careers that benefit from a knowledge of beauty and cosmetology. Then there’s the passion. I’m a writer, so I write. It’s not really a “lifestyle choice.” Similarly, if you’re an artist, you’ll be driven to create art, and hair design is a productive, highly satisfying way to express your art, while you future estheticians out there are already driven to provide comfort. Please refer your parents to their special page on beautyschooladvisor.com. I hope it alleviates their concerns, but if they have further questions I’ll be happy to respond here on the blog.

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Parents Influence Your Cosmetology School Decision

Published: July 13, 2008
by Rosanne Ullman

Often when I ask hairdressers and estheticians how they got interested in the beauty salon industry and ended up attending cosmetology school, the word “parents” creeps into the conversation. Not that parents are creepy! I’m one myself! But most people seek some guidance from parents when they’re deciding what to do with their lives, plus they’re influenced by the role

model their parents have set before them. Here on our website, we think moms and dads are valuable enough to devote a full beautyschooladvisor.com parents’ page to them!

The power of the influence is obvious when your parent is a cosmetologist. It’s natural for kids to want to be like mom or dad, plus then you’ve been around salon people your whole life and may even have a family business you can eventually take over. Typically, parents are proud when the “chip off the old block” respects their profession enough to pursue a career in it.

You also may feel that you’ve inherited natural creativity if your parents are painters, inventors, chefs or musicians, even if their creative outlet is only a hobby rather than a job. Or, dealing with customers may come naturally to you because a parent is in a service industry like hotels, retail stores or restaurants. If they can relate on some level with what you want to do, it’s more likely for your parents to support your decision to enroll in cosmetology school. Next time, I’ll talk about what happens if they don’t.

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Tools Rule at Hair Design School

Published: July 09, 2008
by Rosanne Ullman

Yay to me for coming up with a rhyme! (See blog post title.) Okay, enough fun and games; this is actually a serious beauty school topic. If you plan to become a hair stylist, when you arrive at hair design school you’ll most likely be han

ded a kit with the tools you’ll need. This will include scissors; a few sizes of combs; several brushes in different shapes such as a large round brush, a small round brush and a paddle brush; a blow dryer; a curling iron; and maybe a flat iron.

Typically, these tools are of pretty good quality. You’ll use them throughout your coursework, and when you graduate you’ll be permitted to keep them and take them to your first salon job. I know you’ll be glad that your tuition covers the tool kit, but at some point early in your career you should consider investing in your own personal set of tools.

Everyone’s body is unique. The way your hand manipulates a shear, or the way the weight of a blow dryer may fatigue you—that type of thing is so individual. Try out lots of different brands of tools at different price points. You will form habits early, and bad habits can lead to carpal tunnel, a sore back or tired shoulders. Even while you’re still in hair design school, you may decide that it’s worth the price of purchasing tools that fit your hand and body and make doing hair feel natural and easy.

Photograph by Roberto Ligresti

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Krissy Chooses Her Beauty School

Published: July 06, 2008
by Rosanne Ullman

Let’s pick up with the story of Krissy Simmons, who is graciously permitting me to chronicle her experiences as a student at CHIC University of Cosmetology an Empire School and a new professional cosmetologist. When we left off, she had just told her best friend that she had decided to enroll in beauty school. But which one? Krissy lives in Portage, Michigan, where she was working full-time at a hospital as a cardiac patient care assistant. She wanted to stay local while attending school.

“When I thought about enrolling in a school in Portage, I never thought of any school other than CHIC,” Krissy recalls. “I had a friend who was a current student there, and CHIC has a great reputation in Portage, so I was comfortable with the decision.”

On its website, CHIC lists these requirements for applying to the cosmetology program: be at least 16 years old; have a high school diploma, GED certificate or pass an Ability to Benefit Assessment Test; interview with a Career Planning Specialist; complete a student application. Krissy felt she could qualify. The next starting date was October, but that program was already full; the facility is new and attractive, so programs fill up quickly. Krissy had to wait until the January program to enroll, but she did get in. She knew she had to quit her full-time job and still come up with the tuition. Next time she’ll tell us how she managed to finance her beauty school education.

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