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Editor's Blog

Is 2008 the Year You’ll Launch Your Cosmetology Career?

Published: December 30, 2007
by Rosanne Ullman

Whether you’re still in high school or already out working, the dawn of a new year signals change and rebirth. What will 2008 hold for you? Maybe a new love interest, a baby—or a whole new cosmetology career. Unlike many schools, one great thing about beauty school is that you can begin coursework anytime of the year, not just in September. If you start at the beginning of the calendar year, in most cases you can graduate by year’s end.

I think we all like to grow, and we tend to use the calendar year to mark that growth. So picture yourself one year from now, watching the ball drop as 2008 turns to 2009. Will you be in roughly the same place you are now? Or will you have something exciting to look forward to?
Launch your Cosmetology Career

Although I’m here to talk about beauty school and I enthusiastically encourage you to sign up if you’re creative and love beauty and fashion, I’m also a big fan of higher education in general. Sometimes making the decision to tackle a new challenge is the hard part. Once you’re committed, you’ll find the time, money and motivation to see it through. It became traditional to make resolutions at the start of a new year probably because that’s when it feels most natural to make dramatic changes in our lives. And when you want to do something positive for yourself, I’m always going to say: Don’t wait for next year. Take the leap!

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That Was One Passionate Nail Technician

Published: December 27, 2007
by Rosanne Ullman

Some years back my salon’s owner hired a recent nail technology school graduate who won the hearts of all the clients. Nail Technician passionate about Nail Technology School

Nail Technician passionate about Nail Technology School

Desiree had that special blend that never fails at the salon: passion for the job combined with a genuine desire to please clients. She always wore a smile on her face, and while you were getting a manicure or pedicure from her it was impossible to be in a bad mood. After several years, Desiree and her boyfriend moved out of the area, so she left my salon and, soon after, attended college. For an English class assignment, she wrote a paper that told the story of how becoming a nail technician turned around her life.

Before enrolling in nail technology school, Desiree had little ambition and no idea of what she wanted to do with her life. Taking nail tech classes, she grew to love the curriculum and rose to the top of her class. That, in turn, gave her a huge shot of self-esteem. I think you’ll really enjoy reading about her transformation, which you can find in an article called, "My First Salon Job Changed My Life". Desiree’s story is similar to those of many young people who find that cosmetology school fills a void in their lives.

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Give Someone You Love the Gift of Beauty School

Published: December 23, 2007
by Rosanne Ullman

Every year around this time, we hear a lot of moaning about how materialistic Americans are. I don’t believe it’s evil to want Give the gift of Beauty School

an iPod or Coach purse, but I agree with a lot of parents who feel that investing in a young person’s education is probably a better bet than giving him or her yet another gift certificate to the mall. Think what the holidays would mean to someone who receives a voucher toward beauty school tuition. Post-high school education is something that will benefit the recipient throughout life.

Yes, I’m biased. But that’s because I’ve interviewed so many cosmetology professionals who love what they do. They remain dedicated and inspired 20, 30, even 40 years later. Do some burn out? Sure. But even when they go on to some other career, they continue to draw on their early cosmetology career training and their experience as a beauty professional, which provided them with self-discipline, a teamwork mentality, customer service skills and creative motivation.

For someone whose creativity is already budding, beauty school and entry into a cosmetology career can really make it blossom. It may not look like much under a tree, but the gift of higher education will stay shiny long after the holiday’s over.

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Do You Look Like a Cosmetology School Student?

Published: December 19, 2007
by Rosanne Ullman

Before you start classes in a new environment, it’s natural to wonder whether you’ll fit in. This especially comes into play at cosmetology school because of all the preconceived notions about people who choose a cosmetology career.

What does a Cosmetology School Student look like

What does a Cosmetology School Student look like

A lot of folks expect every beauty school student to have a lip pierce, bright orange hair or heavily lined, goth-style eyes. And some do, which is just as true at every high school and on every college campus.

I’ve met tons of hairdressers, estheticians and beauty school students, and they do tend to express a style that’s all their own. But I really mean all their own. There’s something interesting about the clothes, make-up, hair or even the way they carry themselves. It makes sense, since this is a group that’s interested in hair and fashion. But every single one is an individual. Body type, hair, make-up, body art and clothing vary at cosmetology school as much as anywhere else.

Find your style, and be yourself. Then you’ll fit in with everyone else at cosmetology school—because you won’t look anything like each other!

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After Beauty School, How Hairdressers Make Money

Published: December 14, 2007
by Rosanne Ullman

Upon graduation from beauty school, many of you will become hairdressers. You’ll be in charge of your own cosmetology career and able to set the goal of how much money you want to make. Let’s say you decide that your minimum yearly earnings should be $40,000. How to get there depends on your prices and your commission.

Plan Cosmetology Career Earnings after Beauty School

Plan Cosmetology Career Earnings after Beauty School

Now for some calculation. Even if you don’t like math, counting your money is fun, so stick with me! Let’s assume you charge $45 for a hair cut and $55 for a color service, and you earn 40% of every service. That’s realistic, even modest, since some beauty salons pay commissions of 50% and more.

Now the math. Each cut-and-color client you do brings in $100, which earns you $40 in commission. If you do one every two hours, in an eight-hour day you’ll make $40 x 4 clients, or $160. In a week, you’ll earn $160 x 5 days, or $800. In a year, you’ll earn $800 x 50 weeks and reach your goal of $40,000.

Many beauty salons also pay a 10% commission on retail cosmetology products, so selling half your clients a $10 bottle of shampoo or conditioner adds $500 onto your yearly paycheck.

With some double-booking and a shampoo assistant, busy hair stylists can do twice that number of clients and earn $80,000 a year. Or, you can work at a higher-priced beauty salon. Add a couple of perms, straightening services, party updo’s and professional make-up applications, and you can become a real money machine. I’ve seen tons of beauty school graduates do it!

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Five Values You'll Pick Up at Beauty School

Published: December 10, 2007
by Rosanne Ullman

You're entering beauty school to gain specific technical skills, but I predict you'll also learn life lessons. Hair stylists and estheticians are some of the warmest people I've ever known, guided by values that seem to define the entire industry, such as:

Values Hair Stylists and Estheticians learn at Beauty School

Values Hair Stylists and Estheticians learn at Beauty School

Generosity. I don't think there's another business group that gives back more to the community than the professional beauty salon industry. Formally and informally, salon people donate money and time for causes that range from cancer and AIDS to all sorts of children's and local charities.

Empathy. Hair stylists and estheticians try to truly understand how their clients want to change the way they look, not to mention how bad hair stylists and estheticians feel when they hear about their clients' personal crises.

Integrity. From beauty school through salon training, industry elders encourage new salon professionals to conduct themselves with honesty and high ethical standards.

Dedication. I've talked to so many hair stylists and estheticians who come in early, stay late or work on their day off when a good client really needs them.

Humility. Salon people humble? I must be kidding, right? Okay, it's true that hair stylists and estheticians can be extremely outgoing, but keep in mind that they still always focus on their clients. A hair stylist or esthetician probably says "you have beautiful hair (or skin, bone structure, etc.)" and "you look great" a kazillion times a day. As a salon professional, your whole job is to make others look and feel fabulous.

I'll get further into some of these beauty school values in the future.

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Start Your Cosmetology Career after Beauty School with a Great Salon Job Interview

Published: December 03, 2007
by Rosanne Ullman

If you want to start your cosmetology career working at a salon after you graduate from beauty school, you’ll have a lot of options because salons always need great people. The trick is how to truly become, not just appear to be, one of the great people they need.
Cosmetology Career in a Salon after Beauty School

Cosmetology Career in a Salon after Beauty School

At the interview, draw on what you learned in your cosmetology classes. Be prepared with stories from your studies that illustrate how passionate you are about your chosen cosmetology career. Be cheerful, and be helpful. One spa owner told me she purposely drops a pencil on the floor during every interview with employment candidates. If the applicant immediately reaches to pick up the pencil for her, she knows that person has the right instincts to deliver top customer service. It’s a subtle test that a lot of applicants fail.

Dress more professionally than you think you need to, and don’t show much skin but do try to let your own sense of style shine through. Read the salon’s entire website before you get there, and carry a list of questions that are not addressed on the site. The major question you should ask is how much opportunity for growth you’ll have, not how much money you’ll make or how much time off you can take. Show an interest in advanced beauty education, serious challenge and hard work. That’s what every employer is looking for.

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