Make A Move into The Beauty Industry and Find A Rewarding Career
From creating the perfect lash line to microdermabrasion, it’s never too late to enter a career in the beauty industry.
One of the many perks of the industry is that it allows schedule flexibility. You decide when you work as well as where you want to work because the industry also offers the opportunity to work on an international level. Here are the three most common paths to take to break into the industry.
Makeup Artist
One career in the beauty industry is makeup artistry, which focuses on makeup application and other specialized services like semi-permanent lash application. Most makeup artists freelance for events or short-term contracts, which offer the freedom of working locally or on a global scale. Makeup artists can freelance for weddings, photo shoots and fashion shows, or they can choose to focus on special effects makeup for the entertainment industry.
Training to become a makeup artist can be obtained in either a traditional cosmetology school or through a program that focuses solely on makeup artistry. If you choose to attend a traditional cosmetology program, you should look for more specialized certifications after graduation or apply for an internship to gain further experience. For specialized programs, certification as a makeup artist can be achieved within six months.
Cosmetologist
Cosmetologists are trained in makeup application and eyelash extension techniques, and their training extends to hair cutting, coloring and styling as well as manicures, pedicures and waxing. The perk of cosmetology training is that it provides general training in many areas, so you can choose to specialize in a specific area after you’ve gotten to experience all possible avenues. A full-time cosmetology program can typically be completed within nine months to a year while part-time programs can take 12 to 18 months.
Esthetician
An esthetician’s primary focus is skin care. Although esthetician training will typically cover makeup applications and things like eyelash extension training, it also offers training in more specialized areas like microdermabrasion and skin peels. Such procedures require special certifications that are not received from cosmetology or makeup artistry training. The majority of esthetician programs can be completed in about 12 months.
Continuing Education
After you’ve obtained official certification, you can legally begin working within your industry, but your education shouldn’t stop there. It’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest techniques and advancements within your chosen industry. Increase your marketability by obtaining additional certifications from training courses that focus on specialized areas of expertise within your field. Additional training also increases your chances of global work opportunities.
