Now that you have decided to attend a cosmetology course, do you think you have what it takes to carve a successful career in this niche? Let’s find out but before that, do you know the difference between a cosmetology school and a barber school? Yes, both have elements that deal with hair styling and care, but there is a difference between the two:
Barber school
Barber schools mostly teach the students how to properly cut the hair, style and color it. The student starts with the basics, safety, sanitation and theory before finally moving on to advanced techniques of hair coloring, hair cutting and facial hair shaving. Once you have passed the licensing exam, you are then allowed to work as a professional.
Cosmetology school
If you wish to offer more services than merely cutting and shaving hair for men, then the best option for you is to enroll for a beauty course in an accredited cosmetology school. This means that you will be offered a more rounded education that can cater for needs of both the men and the women. A cosmetology licensing exam must be taken and passed before being licensed to work.
The main difference between these schools is that in a cosmetology school, apart from hairstyling, the students also learn about makeup artistry, some esthetics, nail technology and skin care.
A good instructor at any reputable beauty school in Ontario always tell his or her students that a cosmetology career is not as smooth as it appears as people’s beauty preferences can be as varied as their characters. But the real beauty of being a cosmetologist lies in having the ability to turn uninteresting into gorgeous. However, this task comes with a number of unique challenges, all of which must be distinctly solved.
What does a normal cosmetologist’s working day consist of?
To start with, people working in the cosmetology industry have the luxury to select which work environment is best suitable for them. For example, you may opt to work in a beauty shop located in a resort or hotel, or in a spa, or in a conventional salon located anywhere in the country. You can even set up shop from home or start your own salon after you have build up a solid clientele. The work environment notwithstanding, your work day is likely to be busy handling a number of beauty related tasks that may include giving facials, applying makeup, styling and cutting hair, doing nails, and many more.
Apart from giving the clients the kinds of looks they desire, you are also likely to spend your day advising them on which beauty products are best suits for maintaining healthy skin, nails and hair. In addition to this, quite a number of cosmetologists also spend their day selling the beauty products to the masses in general.
What about the working hours?
Depending on what the clients want, your work experience and needs, cosmetologists are allowed to set their own working hours. It should however be noted that a cosmetologist working hours do not fall under the normal business hours as we know them. Apart from this, he or she may be required to work for long hours during the weekends as this is the time most of the clients are available.
What is the recommended time for managing your own salon?
Rookie cosmetologists in most cases are employed in already established salons or beauty facilities as they have just come out of the beauty school. As such, they do not have the needed experience to work independently on their own. But after a few months or years working in a beauty establishment, they might be able to open their own shops or salons, depending on personal preferences. In this case, there are a number of things that need to be considered before opening shop. These include:
• The particular services that a cosmetologist wishes to offer
• Location
• Competitors and their location
• Price
All in all, people in the industry estimates the average cost of starting a new salon that that the client will find worth visiting to be in the ranges of $100 000.
Beneficial skills for success in this line of work
Similar to any other line of work, a cosmetologist must possess some skills so as to be successful in what it is he does best. These beneficial attributes are such as:
• Creative
• Hardworking
• Flexible
• Reliable
In addition to the above skills, he or she must also possess good communication skills. This allows him or her to be able to help the clients to envisage the look and styles that best bring out their best features. And because cosmetology is service-oriented, a cosmetology will spend most of the working day with different kinds of clients. This means he or she should also possess good people skills. The beauty industry is ever changing, and the current trends won’t be the same tomorrow. This means that a cosmetologist must have a strong desire and will for continued education by taking up relevant courses at cosmetology schools.
If you have decided that you can meet all the requirements of being a cosmetologist, we invite you to find out more about the great courses we offer here at Avola College of Hairstyling & Esthetics!