If you’re thinking of applying to be a cosmetologist, it’s essential that you gain an understanding of the various skills you need to become great at your desired job. We will guide you through all the skills you should include on your cosmetology resume, primarily focusing on the skills that hiring managers are looking for!

Understanding the Roles of Cosmetology

Cosmetology covers various beauty services, so there are several avenues you could go down when training to be a cosmetologist. These include:

• Makeup artist
• Hairdresser/hairstylist
• Nail artist (manicures and pedicures)
• Cosmetologist
• Hair removal services

The Right Resume

Now that you know which role you’d like to apply for, it’s time to create the perfect resume for your application. ResumeHelp has excellent cosmetology resume templates and examples for you to follow. If resume writing is something you struggle with, you can also use their resume builder!

The Skills You Need

First, you will need the technical ability that comes from attending a beauty school or training program. If you haven’t yet received training, you can find cosmetology programs at places such as The Evergreen Beauty School.

 Hard skills

The technical skills you learn from training and attending beauty school are fundamental to being great at your job. You will need to highlight these hard skills in your resume;

• Hair cutting, coloring, and styling
• Knowledge of first-aid
• Understanding of ingredient lists and allergies
• Cleaning and disinfecting of work area
• Industry-specific certification

Soft skills

The technique is just the starting point of cosmetology. You need to have soft skills, too. Soft skills aren’t specific to any role and usually are developed through experience. Some of the following skills may not seem obvious to include in a cosmetology resume, but you definitely should!

• Teamwork
• Project management
• Adaptability
• Creative thinking
• Problem-solving
• Attention to detail
• Customer service

What Is a Cosmetologist Hiring Manager Looking For?

When a hiring manager is seeking a new cosmetologist for their team, specific attributes make a candidate stand out. Often, it isn’t only about technical skills, as many managers provide training and help to new starters, but about how you will fit into their team.

If your people skills are good and you are easy to talk to, that is half the battle! You will be working with customers daily, so the hiring manager needs a candidate they can guarantee is comfortable talking to and communicating with a range of people.

How to Impress a Hiring Manager with Your Skills

Usually, on a resume, it is the standard to just bullet point your skills. This is recommended as it allows hiring managers to quickly find which skills you have to see if you match the job description and fit the requirements.

However, bullet-pointing alone does not offer proof of instances where you have had to use these skills.

Here are ways to provide evidence that you have delivered these skills to high standards:

Use your work experience section to reiterate your skills.

Say you want to prove that you have customer service skills. Instead of only listing it in your bullet-pointed skills, describe your customer service in the work experience section. Here is an example:

“Listened to customer needs, providing them with a high-quality hairdressing service that reflected their request to guarantee satisfaction.”

As you can see, this sentence is short enough to include in a resume but also provides a background of your skills and experience.

Use a cover letter.

To fully elaborate on your experiences and prove that you did deliver these skills to a high standard, a cover letter is the best way to do it. This allows the hiring manager to delve further into your experience as a cosmetologist and at the same time sell yourself and prove why you are the perfect fit for the job!

If you need help getting started on your resume, ResumeHelp has templates ready for you to use.