Note From the Editor: Choose Beauty
Congratulations! You’ve chosen to join the world of professional beauty. Whether you are 19 or 20 and just starting your career or in your 30s or 40s and have made a career switch, we at MODERN SALON welcome you to this wonderful professional beauty community.
In this 2018 Career Handbook we offer words of encouragement, advice for choosing the right salon, guidelines for managing your expectations in that first salon job, and skills, career options and resources.
Turn to Welcome to Beauty on page 14 to read words of wisdom, encouragement and advice from industry pros who spend every day making beauty their business as educators, influencers, creative VPs or CEOs.
Researching and choosing your first salon can be a daunting task. In The Right Fit on page 16 find the steps you need to take and the issues to consider to find the best fit for your talent, personality and lifestyle.
You are poised to graduate and might believe your education and training are behind you, but in Managing Expectations we coach you on the discipline needed to reach personal success. There are no shortcuts—training programs can be as long as 18-24 months—but if you are serious about a career in beauty you will pay your dues, make a plan and, with great training, you will soar.
Specific skills can help you create your brand and define who you are as a beauty pro. When a client sits in your chair they trust that you have the skills to create a fabulous finish. It’s your responsibility to make sure you hone those skills, taking the time to learn something new every day.
Try to figure out what you are most passionate about—and then set a goal. You can be a master cutter or colorist, focus on barbering techniques or even make a name for yourself as a bridal specialist. There are so many opportunities to be creatively fulfilled and financially successful.
And if you need some ideas on where your license can take you, turn to page 46 and check out Beauty Options where we’ve listed 30 career paths. Some are glamorous, some are fun and some are extremely lucrative. The choices are yours to make as you build your brand.
The beauty profession offers so many ways to grow, compete, inspire and give-back. You’ve chosen wisely. Create your own reality, then live it, love it and own it.
The team at MODERN SALON Media wishes you many years of success. To living the dream!
-Debbie Ogilvie, Project Editor/Executive Managing Editor