Hairstylist – How to Scale Up Your Career

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If you want to scale your career as most hairstylists do, you must be wondering how to go about it. Advancing your hairstylist career can mean starting your salon business or getting a promotion at your place of employment.

Whether you choose to venture out and start your salon or rise through the ranks in employment, you need a strategy that works.

If you are not a hairstylist but thinking of becoming one and scaling, you need to understand the journey from the beginning.

The journey to becoming a hairstylist starts with graduating from beauty school. Before a student can begin working as a hairstylist or a beautician, they need to obtain a cosmetology license.

Maybe you went online and searched for “cosmetology license Texas” and a few guides popped up. You then further discover that each state has a specific requirement to get a license in cosmetology. But now that you’re aware of what you need, you’ll be able to prepare better.

Understanding how to prepare and schedule for such exams is important. A free practice test can help students prepare for these exams and increase their chances of passing. The free test provides answers to common questions that help to check students’ preparedness.

After obtaining a Texas cosmetology license, students start their careers and continue to progress to higher levels. The following guide shows how to scale up your hairstylist career.

1. Set Career Goals

Whether you are an apprentice or a senior hairstylist, you need to plan your advancement. Set a 2-year career growth plan and break it down into SMART goals.

SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely goals. Aim to meet your goals every day. For example, having a specific goal of serving at least 2 or 3 customers each day is a good place to start.

2. Improve Your Hairstyling Skills

A career as a beautician means you should never stop learning. New hairstyles come up every day, and you need to keep up with the trends.

Attending relevant seminars and workshops will enable you to update your skills. Some salons run their workshops and train their staff. Take advantage of such offers.

If the salon you work for does not offer workshops, look for training opportunities in other places. Invest in updating your skills.

The more skills you get, the more clients you will be able to serve. When you improve your skills, you can increase the amount you charge your customers in your business.

This means more income. If you are employed in a salon, having creative styling skills and knowing the latest hair style trends can be good for promotion.

3. Maintain a Professional Look

Take time each day to make sure you dress appropriately. Your appearance should help project you as a professional.

Taking time to choose your outfit, do a skin care routine, and make your hair look good is necessary. When you look professional and well put together, your clients and colleagues will take you seriously.

A professional look builds trust and encourages more customers to seek your services. When you wear a professional outfit, you are likely to attract more customers and increase your income.

This will also increase your client base as most clients prefer working with the same hairstylist. It means your clients might follow you wherever you go.

4. Know More About Your Customers

When you are styling your client’s hair, establish a rapport with them. Listen to their stories and pay attention to the information they share with you.

Remembering a client’s birthday, names, or a special event they had to attend shows you care. This will help create a connection with clients. It builds trust and loyalty.

The more clients you get, the more information you will need to remember. Take 2 minutes after a client leaves to write this type of information in your notebook.

This will help you retain more clients and get new ones. If you are paid on commission, your commission will increase, and your performance will look good.

Employers might consider these factors if there is room for a promotion to a junior or senior stylist position. If you operate your salon, it means your revenue will go up.

5. Take Advantage of Social Media

Take your social media engagement more seriously. Social media is a platform that can help you position yourself as a professional stylist.

Make your social media account look professional and classy. Make sure your profile photo and details portray you as a professional.

Post pictures of your best work. Before and after photos of the work you have done can showcase your skills to the public.

Clients might find you on social media when you share such valuable information. Include some hair care tips as a bonus. This will help you build an audience and extend your brand.

Hairstylist Career Progression

The career progression of a hairstylist is direct. Some hairstylists have just completed their cosmetology course, and they are beginners in the industry.

Just like an esthetician can offer skin care services in a spa or a salon, hairstylists can also start their careers as beginners in a salon. Here are the different categories of hairstylists in the beauty industry.

Apprentice Hairstylists

Salary per year is approximately $ 25,000 U.S. Dollars.

Most beginners have just graduated from beauty college and received their cosmetology license. If you graduate from Texas, you will get a Texas cosmetology license.

This will help you get your first job as an apprentice in a salon. An apprentice is encouraged to attend more classes and work on mannequins before they can move to clients. A beginner, in most cases, can do hair coloring, cutting, and styling on clients.

A Junior Hairstylist

Salary per year is $ 36,000 U.S. Dollars.

A junior hairstylist has been in the industry for a longer period than a beginner. They are up to date with the latest styling trends, and they have a customer base. If you are an experienced hairstylist you can work on commission in a salon or rent a booth.

Senior Hairstylist

Salary per year is $ 50,000 U.S. Dollars.

A senior hairstylist is more established and confident. They can perform more styles, including highlighting, foils, extensions, and other current hairstyles.

Senior hairstylists can charge more for their services. A junior or an apprentice can assist a senior stylist.

Final Thoughts

Whether you are an apprentice, a junior stylist, or a senior stylist, you will want to scale your career at some point. Advancing your hairstyling career can mean moving from one level in your job to the next.

Implement these strategies and write down the results. Identify what is working well and what needs improvement.

When you continually implement and measure results, you are likely to get the outcome you desire. The outcome of career growth can be fulfilling.

Career advancement comes with an increase in the amount of money you earn. It also helps to eliminate boredom. Nobody enjoys maintaining the same career position forever.

A senior stylist can also apply these career advancement tips to increase their earnings. Scaling your career helps you to grow and makes your hairstyling job exciting.