5 Cosmetology Resume Examples That Work For 2021

Why this resume works

• If you decide to include a resume objective in your resume, try to customize it for each job you apply to. A very quick way to do this is to include the name of the company you're applying to. It also helps to read the job description and include any important keywords mentioned there.
• Nearly all cosmetology jobs require that you have a license. The licenses are generally valid within a single state, so make sure you include the state where you're certified!
• Beauty schools offer a range of different programs (like cosmetology, nail technician, and make-up) with different requirements. Generally speaking, cosmetology programs last for 1 year of full-time training which works out to about 1,000 hours.

Why this resume works

• If you need to fill out your resume, it's perfectly okay to include relevant hobbies and interests. This is especially true for current cosmetology students looking to land their first job after certification. Be sure to include only relevant activities, which includes those related to your profession (like volunteering at Wigs for Kids) or those that demonstrate leadership.
• Some salons hire current cosmetology students as part-time receptionists. These salons often pay for the state certification process at the end of training, which is a great way to save money. If you do a good job you can also then be hired as a proper cosmetologist after certification!
• Early in your career it's perfectly okay include roles outside of cosmetology in the "Work Experience" section.

Why this resume works

• When discussing your work experience, you want to demonstrate the impact of your work. Two ways to do this are to start each bullet point with a strong action word (like "Operated" and "Developed" in the resume above) and to use numbers to quantify impact. In this resume, tying the cancellation follow-up program to a hard number of new customers each month immediately shows that there was a positive monetary impact to the salon.
• If you have expertise in a certain line of styling products, feel free to mention that. This is usually optional, but if the job description you're applying to mentions a specific product you have experience with then you should certainly include it.

Why this resume works

• When you become a certified cosmetologist, there are a wide range of areas you can work in. If you're interested in working with the elderly, senior living facilities around the country hire full-time and part-time beauticians to help their residents live in style.
• A common question for beauticians is whether to include high school in the "Education" section of the resume. Err on the side of including it, unless you're pressed for space (always try to make sure your resume fits on a single page). Some jobs require high school or a G.E.D. and it never hurts to remove doubt.

Why this resume works

• As you progress along your career, a sure-fire sign of growth is to show increasing responsibility. In this resume, it's clear that the person is entrusted with more responsibility because they're responsible for onboarding and training new hires.
• The skills section of your resume should include just enough to show your specific technical strengths while not looking like a laundry list of all skills under the sun. If you have experience with specific product lines, feel free to include one or two.
• Nail technician certification is different than the cosmetology certification in most states (though both are programs offered by most beauty schools), so be sure to include the exact name of the certification you possess.