How To Write a Hairstylist Resume
Hairstylists provide a highly personal service, and the key to building an impactful hairstylist resume is to tell your unique story as a hairstylist. Highlight achievements that demonstrate the nuances of your industry experience and display your skills, such as hair coloring, client relations, and cosmetology.
For example, suppose you have a strong history of creating inclusive salon atmospheres catering to a wide clientele range. This demonstrates your value to prospective employers and says something significant about your personal brand. Throughout this guide, we’ll provide expert tips to help you translate your hairstyling experience into a powerful resume.
- Entry-Level
- Mid-Career
- Senior-Level
1. Write a dynamic profile summarizing your hairstylist qualifications
To grab the attention of the most prestigious salons, craft a compelling opening summary that highlights your unique talents as a hairstylist. Salons value creative stylists who can build relationships with diverse clients. Emphasize your skill set and experience with inclusive beauty standards and trends in your profile.
Senior-Level Profile Example
A master stylist with over 10 years of experience supporting a wide range of clients throughout their beauty journeys. A seasoned professional with strong expertise in style design, color correction, and face shape analysis. Adept at identifying ideal styles, colors, and cuts in alignment with client goals and preferences.
Entry-Level Profile Example
An energetic hairstylist with two years of experience working with image-conscious customers of all ages. A strong history of delivering high-quality hairstyling and beauty services to support client vision. Adept at leveraging creative use of color, ombre, and extensions to maximize customer satisfaction.
2. Add your hairstylist experience with compelling examples
To create a results-driven professional experience section, emphasize your career achievements instead of job responsibilities. Incorporating data for client retention, satisfaction, and monthly sales is one way to enhance your bullet points, but not every achievement is easily quantifiable.
For example, rather than simply stating that you delivered creative hairstyling services, provide details about how you used innovative techniques to bring the client’s vision to life. Telling your unique story within the beauty industry is the surest way to differentiate yourself from the competition during your job search.
Senior-Level Professional Experience Example
Master Stylist
Michael Anthony’s, New York, NY | July 2017 – present
- Design artistic, innovative hairstyles and colors for high-end clientele, utilize hair color and style techniques to reflect client personalities, and achieve a client retention rate of over 95%
- Manage, train, and mentor a team of more than 10 hairstylists, provide training on style designs, color techniques, and client relations, and successfully improve customer satisfaction rates by 30%
- Utilize state-of-the-art tools and haircutting techniques to produce high-quality styles
Entry-Level Professional Experience Example
Hairstylist
The Spa at Sun Valley, San Diego, CA | November 2022 – present
- Deliver high-quality hairstyling services for a diverse range of clients for a resort spa, including cuts, chemical services, and therapeutic hair and scalp treatments
- Recommend treatments and spa services to guests, upsell products and services, and generate over $5,000 in additional revenue month over month
- Build rapport with clients, communicate with empathy and understanding, achieve an 85% retention rate, and receive monthly customer satisfaction ratings of 89% to 94%
3. Include hairstylist-related education and certifications
Although no higher education is required to pursue a hairstylist career, you must obtain a license by completing a state-approved training program. In addition, consider pursuing other certifications to bolster your resume further. A Master Stylist Certification or a Certified Hair Colorist credential are two options that will show prospective employers you’ve continued to expand and refine your hairstyling techniques.
Education
Template
- [Degree Name]
- [School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] – [Graduation Month and Year]
Example
- High School Diploma
- Belmont High, Boston, MA – June 2015
Certifications
Template
- [Certification Name], [Awarding Organization] – [Completion Year]
Example
- Certified Hair Colorist, ABHC – 2016
- Licensed Cosmetologist, Johnson Beauty Program, Massachusetts – 2016, License #12345
4. Include a list of skills and proficiencies related to hairstylists
Although not every salon will use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), ensure your resume has the right skills and key terms to attract attention from prospective employers. As you begin crafting your document, carefully analyze each job posting for keywords the organization is looking for. Incorporating these terms into your profile, professional experience, and skills section will increase your chances of landing the interview:
| Key Skills and Proficiencies | |
|---|---|
| Balayage | Beauty services |
| Client relations | Communication |
| Consultative selling | Cosmetology |
| Customer service | Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) |
| Facial shape analysis | Finishing |
| Inclusive beauty | Ombre |
| Hair coloring | Haircutting |
| Hair extensions | Hairstyling |
| Health and safety | Redken color expertise |
| Relationship building | Upselling techniques |
How To Pick the Best Hairstylist Resume Template
When selecting your template, prioritize structure and organization over aesthetics in most situations. Salons will always be more interested in your professional achievements and hairstyling expertise, so choose an option that best highlights these aspects of your career. Although flashy colors and graphics may seem visually appealing, these elements can often distract the reader from your qualifications.
Hairstylist Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples
- Example #1
- Example #2
- Example #3
Raymond Ortiz
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
LinkedIn | Portfolio
Boston, MA 12345
Profile
A creative hairstylist with over seven years of experience specializing in color correction, relationship building, client relations, and upselling techniques. A proven track record of recommending ideal cuts and styles for clients based on texture, head shape, and individual needs.
Professional Experience
Hairstylist, Atmosphere Hair Stylists, Boston, MA
October 2019 – present
- Achieve a 93% customer satisfaction score for providing high-quality hair care services to a wide range of clients, including cuts, designs, coloring, styling, and extensions
- Advise clients on hair care regimen, build long-term relationships, promote beauty products, and create a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for all customers
- Provide coaching, training, and mentorship to new hires on quality standards, client relations best practices, and upselling techniques to drive sales for retail products
Hairstylist, J Michael’s Hair Salon, Boston, MA
June 2016 – October 2019
- Provided a wide range of haircuts and styles to meet client requests, performed color treatments and highlights, promoted specialty hair care products, and maintained a 93% client retention rate
- Communicated effectively with a broad range of customers, managed appointments and scheduling, and provided support to other stylists to support salon growth
Key Skills
- Client relations
- Color correction
- Communication
- Inclusive beauty
- Scalp treatments
Certifications
- Certified Hair Colorist, ABHC, 2016
- Licensed Cosmetologist, Johnson Beauty Program, Massachusetts – 2016, License #12345
Education
High School Diploma
Belmont High, Boston, MA September 2017 – June 2021
Frequently Asked Questions: Hairstylist Resume Examples and Advice
What are common action verbs for hairstylist resumes?-
You’re not alone if you run short on action verbs during the resume-building process. Often, you can use only a few verbs to describe your experience as a hairstylist accurately. Differentiating your word choice can enhance the reading experience and eliminate redundancy across bullet points.
To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of action verbs you can use to craft your resume:
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Analyzed | Applied |
| Collaborated | Communicated |
| Conducted | Consulted |
| Created | Delivered |
| Developed | Evaluated |
| Identified | Implemented |
| Improved | Managed |
| Performed | Resolved |
| Supported | Trimmed |
| Upsold | |
How do you align your resume with a hairstylist job description?-
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, hairstylist job opportunities are expected to grow by 11% between 2021 and 2031. Despite these optimistic projections, you’ll still need to align your resume with the job description to attract interest from high-end salons. As you build your resume, tailor your document toward individual job postings.
For example, if a salon seeks a hairstylist with experience across a wide range of natural hairstyles, feature your knowledge of coily, wavy, straight, and curly textures in your professional experience. Creating a resume that is fully targeted to specific job applications will help to differentiate you from the competition.
What is the best hairstylist resume format?-
Reverse chronological is the ideal format for hairstylist resumes. This ensures that your most recent experience is featured near the top of your document. Unlike functional resume formats, also known as skill-based resumes, this approach lets you properly detail your achievements and career experience. Even at the entry level, you’re better off providing insights into your cosmetology training program than only listing hairstyling skills.
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Including a matching cover letter offers you an opportunity to tell potential employers more about who you are as a professional. Many salons often decide on cultural fit, so speak more about your personal brand. In the middle paragraphs, mention something specific about the salon’s reputation and why it draws you to apply for the role. For more insights, visit our cosmetology cover letter guide.
