Blog Post

How To Become A Cosmetologist

Texas College of Cosmetology • Mar 20, 2018

Have you ever thought of becoming a Cosmetologist? The Cosmetology field is a rewarding choice for a career. Not everyone has the skills it takes to excel in this field. A friendly personality combined with intelligence & a capacity to learn & try new things is prerequisite to this vocation.

The first step to becoming a Cosmetologist is going to beauty school. There are many cosmetology schools to choose from. Do your research & find the best vocational school for your needs. There are many things you should consider, proximity to your home, available courses, financial affordability etc. You may want to find a beauty school that has smaller class sizes, as this can give you the one-on-one time to really develop your skills.

Once you have found the cosmetology school that meets your criteria, schedule a visit to the school. You can check out the class sizes & see the teachers interacting with the students. Most beauty schools offer services to the public at a discounted rate. This gives their students the opportunity to practice their craft on “real” people. Schedule an appointment to have your hair done or a manicure on your nails. This way you will be able to see the students in action. Are there instructors there to guide the new hair stylists? Are they constructive in their criticism of the students? This is also an important aspect to keep in mind. No one wants to be “chewed out” in front of customers.

When you have made your decision on the school that you would like to attend, there will more than likely be an enrollment process. Enrollments may differ but for the most part you should expect that you will need to visit the school before your first day & fill out an Application. At this time you will be asked for your driver’s license & social security card (alien registration if you are not a US citizen), & a tax return from the previous year. Make sure to bring your checkbook as you will need to pay registration fees & probably the first month’s tuition as well.

It is also possible to attend cosmetology courses through a vocational program. This is often offered to high school students in their senior & junior years. If this option appeals to you, the choice of school would be limited as there is usually only one vocational school associated with each high school. This option is also less expensive since it is part time & affiliated with a public school curriculum.

Whether you choose to pursue your career part time or full time, you will need to accumulate so many hours before you go on to pass your boards. Once you fulfill these requirements you will become a licensed cosmetologist. You may then work in any salon or professional hair stylist establishment. In most states there is a different license for barbers & cosmetologists, so you will probably not be able to work in a barbershop with a cosmetology license, but you will be able to work in any salon that you choose! You can then begin your fulfilling career in the Cosmetology Industry!

If you live in the Abilene or San Angelo, TX area & you are looking for a vocational school or beauty school, contact Texas College of Cosmetology today.

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Be Proactive – When you’re working with your own clients, you don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you can’t answer a client’s question. Take the initiative to stay on top of your reading, but also go beyond that by staying on top of the latest and most up to date skin trends and techniques. There’s no such thing as having too much knowledge or vocabulary in the esthetician field. It can help to be well versed on various skin care topics even before beginning an esthetician program. Make Sure You Do What You Love – Although this is true of any career choice, it’s especially true when you’re deciding on such a specialized career. Despite there being so many areas of skincare that fall under the Esthetics umbrella, having your certification in Esthetics will be useless if you hate what you’re doing. Build Your Network Early – You probably hear this all the time; network, network, network, but it really pays off! While in Esthetician school, you can work on building your clientele from the beginning. Get to know your clients, follow up with them, and once you establish loyalty, they are more likely to follow you to your salon after graduation. Already graduated? Get started on a portfolio with before and after photos of your clients. You can also branch out to Instagram to build your audience, create and distribute business cards, or even have a website designed for your practice. Be Product Savvy and Honest – Your clients are just like you – they want to be confident in their Esthetician’s recommendations and knowledge, which means you need to be on your A game. Take the time to research any product that you’re recommending or trying to sell. Be prepared to ask any question about the products that you’re recommending. Know Your Worth, And Your Market – Industry standards say that new Estheticians should charge their clients a minimum of $1/minute. A 60-minute service, would then be $60. Another factor to consider is what other Estheticians are charging locally. Depending on your city, you may be able to get away with charging more (or less) for your services. Make sure you keep things fairly priced though, or else you may find it hard to get and retain clients if they feel like they can’t afford your services. You should also consider implementing your own personal terms, hours, and cancelation policy. Time is money, after all. Never Stop Learning – If you’re going to commit to a career in the beauty industry, then you must be comfortable with never really ending the “student” aspect of your career. You should consider learning about related topics such as nutrition for example, since so many skin ailments can be attributed to the food we are putting in our bodies. If you’re going into the medical esthetics field, you may want to consider learning about Botox or laser hair removal. Put Yourself First – Don’t be too busy in your career that you disregard taking care of yourself. Appearance is everything, and your first impression on your clients. You are after all, the face of your brand. You wouldn’t like it if you hired a lawyer and they showed up in a sweat suit, right? You’d think that they were sloppy and unprofessional. Same rule applies here. Strive to put your best foot forward each and every day that you work with your clients. Don’t forget to take time for yourself at the end of the day. Go for a walk, read that book you’ve been meaning to read, exercise, get your water in, etc. If you’re actively taking care of yourself, keeping a professional appearance will be no problem at all. People are coming to you for a relaxing treatment as a special treat to themselves. You don’t want to let personal issues interfere with your money. Interested in a career in Esthetics? Call the professionals at Texas College of Cosmetology today to get started!
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