How To Write an Esthetician Resume

To generate interviews for esthetician jobs, you’ll want to create an accomplishment-driven resume highlighting your vast knowledge of hair removal and skin care treatments. Salons also value candidates who can build rapport with a wide range of clients, so you’ll want to draw attention to your communication and relationship-building skills. Throughout this guide, we’ll provide expert tips to help you achieve a healthy balance that will significantly increase your odds of landing the interview.

  • Entry-Level
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior-Level
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1. Craft an outstanding profile with a summary of your esthetician qualifications

Your professional profile is often the first thing the hiring manager sees as they review your resume. To make a positive first impression, you’ll want to incorporate three to four specializations that align with the job description into your opening sentence. For example, if a company seeks an esthetician with expertise in safety procedures, you may want to incorporate terms such as allergy testing and infection control.

Senior-Level Profile Example


Profile

A Senior Esthetician with 10+ years of experience developing customized treatment plans for skin care, hair removal, and facials for a diverse client base. A strong history of nurturing talent and building teams for luxury spas and beauty salons. Adept at identifying opportunities to enhance the client experience.

Entry-Level Profile Example


Profile

A dynamic Esthetician with two years of experience delivering skincare and hair removal treatments to clients in a luxury spa. A proven track record of identifying ideal treatment methods based on individual needs. Adept at building rapport with clients and upselling cosmetic products.

2. Showcase your esthetician experience

Your professional experience section must highlight your most compelling career achievements. Employers want estheticians with the knowledge to perform a wide range of skincare and hair removal treatments safely and effectively. Showing you are proficient in multiple procedures shows you have the skills to choose the correct treatments for your clients. You should also quantify your experience whenever possible to create a sense of scope for your accomplishments.

Senior-Level Professional Experience Example


  • Act as a preceptor to students on practicum placements, assess technical and customer service abilities, identify areas of improvement, and provide coaching
  • Mentor new hires and provide ongoing professional development training to increase student confidence while applying facial treatments and chemical peels
  • Support clients with the most complex skin conditions, perform comprehensive skin analysis, develop customized skincare routines, and achieve a 98% client satisfaction rating

Entry-Level Professional Experience Example


  • Prepare skin for hair removal, use threading and hot wax techniques to create a smooth result, build rapport, achieve an 85% client retention rate, and generate 91% positive reviews
  • Perform initial consultations with clients, communicate with empathy and understanding, perform skin analysis, and develop appropriate treatment plans based on individual needs
  • Apply cleansing and moisturizing facial treatments and recommend complementary take-home products from the salon’s range, achieving a 67% upselling rate in 2022

Your most important certification is your state license, as this is a prerequisite for any esthetician position. Still, there are limited opportunities to pursue other credentials. For example, you can obtain certifications in facial treatments, waxing and threading, or laser hair removal to show prospective employers that you’re dedicated to advancing your knowledge in these techniques.

Education

Template

  • [Degree Name]
  • [School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] [Dates Enrolled]

Example

  • High School Diploma
  • MAPLEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL, Nashville, TN September 2012 – June 2016

Certifications

Template

  • [Certification Name], [Awarding Organization], [Completion Year]

Example

  • Esthetician, Light Brand Beauty Institute, State of Tennessee, License #12345
  • National Esthetician Certification, NCEA, 2017
  • Facial Treatment Specialist Certification, NCEA, 2016

4. Outline your most useful esthetician skills and proficiencies

When hiring managers need to sort through numerous esthetician resumes, they narrow their options as quickly as possible. They typically use an applicant tracking system (ATS), a software algorithm to parse resumes for specific keywords. If your document lacks key terms, your application may be automatically rejected before the hiring manager sees it. You’ll want to incorporate key skills and proficiencies into your resume to ensure ATS compliance. Below, you’ll find a list of keywords you may encounter during the job search:

Key Skills and Proficiencies
Allergy Testing Beauty Services
Chemical Peels Client Relations
Communication Consultative Selling
Customer Service Dermatology
Facials Hair Removal
Health & Safety Infection Control
Laser Hair Removal Microdermabrasion
Relationship Building Skin Analysis
Skincare Treatment Upselling Techniques
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Expert Advice
Recruiter Interview with Linda Conte
Personal Care and Services Recruiter and Expert Contributor
Linda Conte is an accomplished massage therapist with an impressive 25-year career in various industry positions. Having served as a spa manager, Linda excels in overseeing operations and delivering exceptional customer service. Her recruitment expertise began with the start-up app-based business Soothe. She currently works with Exuberancy, a leading Wellness Company, where she helps candidates find their niche in the wellness industry. Additionally, as an educator at the oldest and most renowned massage therapy school in the United States, The Swedish Institute, Linda guides students toward licensure and job readiness. As a Retention Specialist, she provides invaluable support to students, helping them stay focused on their goals and keeping them on track to graduate.
1. What are the most in-demand skills for an esthetician that should be featured on a candidate’s resume? Please include both hard and soft skills. -

The candidate should be able to perform various types of facials and chemical peels. Also, proficiency with waxing and laser experience is a plus. Strong skills are necessary to evaluate a customer’s skin condition and recommend appropriate services and products for home care, as sales are a large part of the job.

2. What work experience or other accomplishments are hiring managers seeking in an esthetician?-

Hiring managers are looking for a candidate with confidence and the desire to learn new modalities. Experience in advanced facial massage, electrical modalities, peels, microneedling, and dermaplaning. If a candidate is dual licensed in massage therapy, that can increase earning potential and help meet the demand for the employer.

3. What else should an esthetician candidate be prepared to provide hiring managers besides a resume?-

The candidate should be available to perform a facial for the hiring manager and have a resume and cover letter that is up to date. Also, include any certificates from independent or workplace training.

How to Pick the Best Esthetician Resume Template

As a professional within the beauty industry, consider using a modern template that uses large amounts of color or flashy graphics. Although some aspects of the presentation may seem appealing, you should generally use a straightforward, simple template during the job search. Overuse of color tends to distract the reader from your career achievements and qualifications, which are always the determining factors in whether or not you land the interview.

Esthetician Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples

  • Entry-Level
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior-Level

Skyler Thompson
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
LinkedIn | Portfolio
Miami, FL 12345

Profile

A passionate Esthetician with six years of experience performing skincare and hair removal treatments in luxury salons. A proven track record of communicating empathetically with clients and building long-term relationships. Adept at facilitating a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for a diverse client base.

Professional Experience

Esthetician, Broadway Center Spa & Salon, Miami, FL
May 2019 – Present

  • Prepare skin for hair removal, use threading and hot wax techniques to create a smooth result, build rapport, achieve an 85% client retention rate, and generate 91% positive reviews
  • Perform initial consultations with clients, communicate with empathy and understanding, perform skin analysis, and develop appropriate treatment plans based on individual needs
  • Apply cleansing and moisturizing facial treatments and recommend complementary take-home products from the salon’s range, achieving a 67% upselling rate in 2022

Esthetician, Modern Esthetics Salon, Miami, FL
June 2017 – May 2019

  • Performed waxes and facial treatments, conducted skin analysis, developed treatment plans in alignment with client goals, and maintained a 97% customer satisfaction rate
  • Developed long-term treatment plans in collaboration with clients, supported the implementation of a new loyalty program, and improved client retention by 40%

Key Skills

  • Relationship Building
  • Waxing Techniques
  • Allergy Testing
  • Health and Safety
  • Facials, Chemical Peels, and Microdermabrasion

Certifications

  • Esthetician, Miami Beauty Care Institute, State of Florida, License #12345
  • National Esthetician Certification, NCEA, 2017

Education

High School Diploma
Miami Central High School, Miami, FL September 2013 – June 2017

Frequently Asked Questions: Esthetician Resume Examples and Advice

What are common action verbs for Esthetician resumes?-

It’s easy to find yourself running short on action verbs as you craft your bullet points. In many cases, there are only a certain number of verbs you can use to describe your application of skincare and hair removal techniques accurately. It’s important to diversify your language on the resume, as your bullet points may seem repetitive if you use the same three verbs repeatedly. To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of action verbs you can use to build your resume:

Action Verbs
Applied Analyzed
Collaborated Communicated
Conducted Consulted
Created Delivered
Developed Evaluated
Identified Implemented
Improved Managed
Performed Resolved
Supported Upsold
How do you align your resume with an esthetician job description?-

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, esthetician jobs are expected to grow by 17% between 2021 and 2031. Although these projections are encouraging, skincare is a niche industry, and this only amounts to 13,500 openings each year. Because of this imbalance, you’ll encounter fair competition for the most lucrative opportunities on the open market.

You’ll want to align your resume with the job description to maximize your chances of landing the interview. If a salon is seeking a candidate with advanced knowledge of hair removal techniques, you should emphasize specific techniques, such as waxing, threading, and laser removal. By tailoring your resume to the job posting, you’ll greatly increase your odds of securing that next big opportunity.

What is the best esthetician resume format?-

Reverse chronological is the ideal format for esthetician resumes. This approach places your most recent experience towards the top of the document and allows the hiring manager to work their way backward through your career. Although a functional resume may seem applicable, it’s generally advised to avoid skill-based formats because they fail to emphasize your professional achievements.

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Expert Advice
Include a cover letter with your resume

Creating a matching cover letter provides an opportunity to frame your experience differently from the resume. The most important aspect of the cover letter is customizing it to the organization you’re applying to. In the middle paragraph, you should mention something specific about the salon’s reputation and why it draws you to apply. For more guidance, you can view our cosmetologist cover letter guide.

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Frank Hackett

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)

Frank Hackett is a professional resume writer and career consultant with over eight years of experience. As the lead editor at a boutique career consulting firm, Frank developed an innovative approach to resume writing that empowers job seekers to tell their professional stories. His approach involves creating accomplishment-driven documents that balance keyword optimization with personal branding. Frank is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PAWRCC).

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