How to Create a Fabulous Resume for Hairstylists
I recently spoke at an Aveda Institute workshop, and the young talent really got me fired up and reminded me why I love the beauty industry! The students had tons of great questions, and it was a great way for me to learn what young professionals want to know more about. One of these topics that I kept getting asked about was resumes. As you know, the beauty industry is like no other industry, so I’m excited to share four specific components to a fabulous beauty industry resume!
#1: The Aesthetics
Your resume needs to be visually appealing. After all, you are entering into the beauty business, so salon owners/managers want to see that your resume is beautiful! If you’re not great at graphic design, don’t worry, there are a lot of free templates where you can customize borders, change colors, add a graphic, etc. A little pop of color will go a long way to making your resume stand out from the crowd! In addition to color, pay attention to spacing and layout. Basically, you want to make sure that your resume is easy on the eyes!
#2: Grammar
You likely became a hairstylist because you love making people beautiful, not because you’re excellent at writing essays. Nonetheless, you need to make sure that you’re using correct grammar on your resume! If you aren’t the best at this, ask a friend or family member to review it for you. Knowing when to use there, their, and they’re on your resume will give us confidence that you’re a competent professional. Remember, the little things mean everything!
#3: Loyalty
For me, this is huge! Salon owners are looking for people who have held a single job for more than a year. Skipping around from job to job every three months will be a red flag to a hiring manager. I am looking for someone who has been consistent and loyal to a position. Additionally, I am looking at what kind of work experience you have because this will say a lot about your work ethic. For instance, if you have been a server at a restaurant for two years, I’m going to respect that you work in a fast-paced, customer service environment. This tells me that you’re going to work hard and take care of our clients. Any consistent work related to retail, the restaurant or hospitality business, or healthcare will likely make you a great fit for working in a hair salon!
#4: Honesty
I want to find someone who has honestly filled out their resume. Now, I’m not suggesting that you should be super modest. In fact, your resume is your ultimate bragging rights, so don’t shy away from listing everything that makes you look great! However, you need to make sure that everything is the truth. I’ve had situations where a candidate lists one type of experience on her resume, only to find out through the interview that it’s totally different. You don’t want this to happen to you, so honesty is the best policy!
Other Tips
I’ve explained the things that salon owners care about, but, here is one thing that we don’t care about. We do not care if your resume is more than one page. My first resume was three pages—kind of like a mini-booklet. The first page had my headshot with basic info, the second page was the bulk of my information, and the third page listed my references. There is an outdated belief that resumes need to be one page, but that simply isn’t true anymore.
I know that a lot of beauty schools will provide you with a resume template, but make sure to customize it! It is noticeable when you are simply filling in a template! You can use the template as a building block to understand what the key components of a resume are: experience, education, skills, awards, etc. But, add your own creative flair to stand out from the crowd!
My last piece of advice is to make your objective or email specific to the salon where you are applying. For instance, if you are emailing your resume to Be Inspired Salon, craft an email like this:
“Be Inspired Salon, I know that you are an award-winning bridal hair and makeup salon, and I would absolutely love the opportunity to learn from you and your team because I love doing updos and makeup. It would be my greatest joy to be part of that environment.”
This shows me that you have really done your research about my salon, and you’re not email blasting everyone in the area with your resume.
If you’re a salon owner or manager, you know how difficult it can be to find great talent! When I first started my salon, I struggled with this too, but I’ve learned a ton of great lessons along the way and want to share these with you! Check out my Hiring Guide for a comprehensive look at a process that works!
Do you want even more advice from industry pros about resumes, interviews, and hiring? Make sure to join our private Facebook group! We can’t wait to meet you!