Cosmetology Resume Example & Writing Guide

A well-written cosmetology resume is just like a good hair or makeup job: it draws attention to you and your exquisite features. Therefore, if you’re on the lookout for new cosmetology employment opportunities, the first thing you need to do is polish your resume.

Crafting a strong resume takes time and effort. To save you the trouble and help you write a stellar one without hassle, we’ve created this comprehensive cosmetology resume description. Check it out!

The Best Format to Use for a Cosmetology Resume

Depending on your seniority level, you can choose among the three most frequent resume formats: reverse-chronological, functional, and combination.

Cosmetology professionals who have rich experience may find the reverse-chronological format most suitable. It focuses on their relevant achievements and lets them impress a hiring professional with their work history.

Cosmetology Resume Layout

A resume layout refers to the way in which you organize sections and chunks of information in your resume. A nicely arranged layout allows a recruiter or hiring manager to instantly find the information they are interested in.

To craft a coherent resume, do as follows:

Cosmetology Resume Sections

A solid cosmetology resume consists of mandatory and optional sections. The latter can be excluded without doing any harm to the resume. The former, however, is obligatory, and omitting any part of it will result in an incomplete resume.

The must-have sections are:

In the optional part, you can include:

In order not to miss an obligatory part, you may want to use a pre-made cosmetology resume template. 

All Resume.co templates already have all the sections included; you should only fill them out with relevant information pertaining to your work experience, education, and skills. Optionally, you can use them as a cosmetology resume example to draw ideas and create your own from scratch.

Here’s what they look like:

Add Contact Information to Your Cosmetology Resume the Right Way

The contact information section acts as your introduction to the hiring professional, providing them with a way to get in touch with you.

This section includes:

Note that you should only add your first and last name; nicknames and bizarre job titles do not belong here. Always list a professional email address and social media profiles that are job-related only.

Here’s an example of the contact information section:

How to Write a Cosmetology Resume Objective/Summary

To urge a recruiter to keep reading your resume to the end, you need to grab their attention at the very beginning. Having a compelling cosmetology resume summary or cosmetology resume objective is a good way to start.

Each of these acts as an elevator pitch; however, to know which one you should use in your resume, you need to know the differences between them.

The resume summary flaunts your professional background and achievements. Hence, if you have a lot of experience in the industry, you should include it in your resume. 

On the other hand, if you’re just starting out as a cosmetologist, you should opt for the resume objective since it emphasizes your career goals and ambitions.

Junior Cosmetologist Resume Objective

Here’s what a good cosmetology resume objective should look like:

And this is how you shouldn’t write a resume objective: 

A resume objective like this isn’t good, as it doesn't reveal any specific information that will persuade a recruiter that you’re the right candidate.

Established Cosmetologist Resume Summary

Now, let’s check out an established cosmetologist’s resume summary:

Never include a resume summary like this: 

This example is bad because it doesn’t show any specific achievements, relevant skills, or experience.

Cosmetologist Resume Professional Experience

The professional experience section is the key part of your cosmetology resume, as it enables you to impress the hiring professional with your considerable expertise. In this part, you should elaborate on your previous roles by listing the following:

General Tips

When listing your professional experience, make sure that you don’t just list the general duties and responsibilities you had. Recruiters are seeking to discover what results you can produce and how you can contribute to the company.

Therefore, always provide a detailed account of your duties and accomplishments in your previous positions. Also, support them with measurable results and figures, such as KPIs, percentages, or any other significant outcomes.

Try to include industry-specific keywords, like “beauty services,” “facials,” “hair styling,” “skincare treatment,” etc. They will make a hiring professional aware of your superb qualifications and make your resume ATS-friendly.

Make sure that you don’t elaborate too much. This section is indeed the most significant, yet it shouldn’t be too broad. List only the positions that are relevant to the role you’re applying for and those that you held in the previous decade.

Cosmetologist With No Experience

If you don’t have any experience, despair not; you can list internships, volunteer activism, or achievements you acquired at school or college.

This is how to craft this section as an inexperienced cosmetologist: 

Experienced Cosmetologist

Here’s an example of a professional experience section for a seasoned cosmetologist:

Freelance Cosmetologist Experience

Check out an example of a freelance cosmetologist experience section:

Cosmetology Resume Education Section

You may not need a college degree to become a cosmetologist, so a high school diploma will be sufficient. What you do need is to undergo a state-approved training program and obtain an obligatory license.

In this section, you should list: 

Here’s an example:

Cosmetology Resume Skills

When you’re listing your cosmetology resume skills, make sure that they are relevant to the role you’re applying for. Include hard skills to demonstrate that you have strong qualifications for the position and soft skills to show how you work.

If you’re changing careers and have no relevant expertise in the industry, it is recommended to add transferable skills as well.

In order not to go overboard with your skills, you should include skills required by the job posting. This way, you’ll not only tailor your resume to the specific position you’re applying for, but you’ll also manage to pass ATS pre-screening without hassle.   

Cosmetologist Hard Skills

Some cosmetology skills include, but are not limited to:

Here’s how to include these skills in your resume:

Cosmetology Soft Skills

Many employers and hiring professionals favor soft over hard skills, so don’t neglect them. Here are some you should include in your resume:

Check out an example of the soft skills section:

Cosmetology Resume: Other Sections

As the name itself suggests, optional sections could be omitted from a resume. Still, including them can be beneficial, as it allows a recruiter to find out more about your personality, skills, and achievements outside your profession.

Associations

Being a member of professional associations demonstrates your commitment to your profession. Hence, if you are a part of such organizations, feel free to share. 

You can do it this way:

Volunteer Experience

Including volunteer experience in your resume will persuade a hiring professional that you have strong skills for the position, although you lack firsthand experience.

Here’s how to add volunteer work:

Freelance Work

Cosmetologists frequently work as freelancers, so if you’ve ever had any independent projects, do spread the word about them.

Here’s how:

Certifications

Listing certifications in your resume shows that you’re constantly working on gaining new knowledge about novel trends and techniques instead of relying solely on what you’ve acquired so far.

Check out how to add certificates: 

Languages

Since you may deal with clients from other countries, knowing a foreign language is a huge plus. Therefore, if you know any other language, include it in your resume.

Here’s how to list languages: 

Do I Need a Cover Letter as a Cosmetologist?

Sending a cover letter along with your cosmetologist resume is always a good move, even if you’re not instructed to do so. It lets you introduce yourself to a recruiter and elaborate on your achievements.

A cover letter is also a great complement to a cosmetology resume with no experience or a cosmetology graduate resume, as it offers an opportunity to explain what makes you a good candidate despite lacking work experience.

Top 4 Best Tips for Writing a Cosmetology Resume

Crafting a solid cosmetology resume will not be a hassle with these four pro tips:

Cosmetology Resume Example

Use this example

Closing Thoughts

To land an interview, you’ll need a solid cosmetology resume. Pair it with a compelling cover letter, and you’ll make a recruiter stand in awe of your qualifications.

Crafting such a resume does take time and effort, but with the right tips and tricks, you’ll do it without hassle.

We hope that our guide will help you not only create a resume that showcases your skills and experience but also secure your dream job!