Pursuing a career in the beauty industry as a newbie comes with certain challenges. First of all, the transitional period between leaving school and establishing yourself in work can be quite difficult.
Another thing to note is that the industry is quite competitive, meaning that if you decide to start your own business rather than join an already established salon, the odds of success become smaller.
Having said all that, if you are set on becoming a beautician despite all the challenges in your way, do not hesitate and go for it. And to help you, here are five tips that will improve your odds of making it.
Tip 1 – Focus on Continued Education
Once you leave the beauty school, you should not forget about your education. It is true that learning on the job is one of the best ways to improve, but one has to note that the beauty industry is moving forwards as new things come and go, particularly when it comes to techniques.
If there is an opportunity to improve your repertoire by taking a seminar or a course hosted by an established beautician, you should take that opportunity. It might be expensive, but you should not put a price on investment in yourself.
Keep in mind that if you fall behind, there will be new and more eager beauticians who might usurp your place.
Tip 2 – Follow Beauty Trends
As someone new, you should be young and tech-savvy, meaning that you get the advantage of using the available technology and keeping up with the latest beauty trends.
For example, you could accommodate a customer demographic that is not too keen on making phone calls or visiting salons in person in order to make an appointment. Instead, they would prefer to book the appointment online.
You can create a website where you share your schedule so that customers can find a time frame that suits them and book an appointment. Having automated text reminders is also useful because they reduce no-shows.
Other than automation with the help of digital technology, another instance of a recent beauty trend could be inclusivity that covers different demographics. Some old-fashioned beauticians with outdated mindsets might not be as interested as someone who is young and new to the industry.
Take advantage of the current and upcoming trends so that you can get ahead of those who fail to identify what is hot in the industry.
Tip 3 – Create a Unique Style
Basic procedures have certain rules that beauticians need to follow. However, working in the beauty industry also requires creativity. If anything, it is one of the most important traits that beauticians should possess.
Creativity is what distinguishes beauticians from one another. A beautician who is well-versed in hairstyles and can exceed a client’s expectations thanks to their creativity is bound to establish themselves as someone with a unique style.
Of course, it might take a while to polish your knowledge and create a unique style, but if you can find a palace in the industry and create your own little niche, you can expect to have a long and satisfying career in the beauty industry.
Tip 4 – Leverage Social Media to Promote Yourself
It would be a waste not to take advantage of social media to promote your business. From makeup tutorials to hairstyles, beauty-related content is one of the most popular on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, and it receives a lot of engagement.
The freedom to share one’s skills and attract new customers via social media can be a big boost to a beautician’s career. If you are working in a salon, you can run its social media profiles. And if you are working as an individual, you can come up with content ideas and slowly increase your presence on social media.
Other than sharing tutorials, general beauty tips, and other similar content, you could also run giveaways and contests to drive more engagement. Discounts, coupons, freebies, and other goods will attract social media user attention if there is no fee to participate in a giveaway.
Tip 5 – Improve Interpersonal Skills
At times, beauty industry newbies might find themselves struggling with certain customers despite having an outgoing personality.
Developing interpersonal skills takes time, which you should have plenty of thanks to opportunities working with different clients.
Nevertheless, it is still worth your while to take a proactive approach and work on improving those aspects that you are unhappy with.
Perhaps you are not that good at solving conflicts. Or maybe you have a tendency to push customers to talk despite them being introverts because you fail to notice what their personality is like.
Recognizing what makes each customer tick and how they should be approached is a necessary trait to have as a beautician, and you will want to work on improving your interpersonal skills from the day you start working in the industry.