Thinking About Beauty School? 8 Questions to Ask Yourself First

You’ve been “doing hair” your whole life. From your Barbie’s to your BFF’s, you’ve been styling forever.

So now you’re considering making it a passion. Are you meant to be a cosmetologist?  Here are 8 questions to ask yourself before getting serious about enrolling in beauty school.

1. Are you a good listener?

Being a successful cosmetologist isn’t just about styling great hair. It’s about giving clients looks they love and can replicate at home. Listening is an important skill for a stylist, as they need to consider what the client wants and what they have time to manage once they leave the salon.

2. Are you a “people person”?

As a stylist, you will be around people all day, everyday. We all need some alone time, but if chatting it up with clients and coworkers isn’t your style, then you might find a bustling salon too much for your taste

3. Are you creative?

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s worth the question. No two heads are the same, inside or out. And while you don’t have to be Pablo Picasso to be a successful stylist, being able to create great looks takes inspiration and vision. Can you imagine your clients with a different style? What about color?

4. Are you good working with your hands?

Again, this may seem obvious, but while beauty school can teach you the “how to’s”, it can’t instantly teach you dexterity and nimbleness. That comes from practice and experience. If you are not naturally good at working with your hands, you might need some extra time to master.

5. Do you have attention for detail?

Don’t confuse this question with perfectionism. No one is perfect. But many different elements come together to make a great look. And since cosmetology is a service industry, providing your clients with attention and detail oriented service will keep them looking great and coming back.

6. Can you maintain composure under stress?

Every career comes with a certain amount of stress. Cosmetology is no different. Staying on schedule, dealing with challenging clients, and learning current trends takes a lot of patience and dedication.

7. Are you structured?

Do you like a certain order to your days? Is lunchtime always best at 12:30 on the dot? One of the great things about a career in beauty is the flexibility it offers in your schedule. However, depending on your job, that structure could be decided by your employer, or your clientele. Weekend and evening hours are common in the beauty biz. And lunch—most days your are happy to get a minute to grab a bite.  you will need flexibility to meet the demands placed upon you.

8. Do you mind being on your feet a lot?

This seems like an obvious part of the job, but it’s one to definitely consider. Cosmetologists stand a good part of the day,while they cut, color and style clients to gorgeous. If you think standing for an extended period of time might be tough, cosmetology might not be for you.

If after answering all of these questions, you know cosmetology is for you, then for got it!  You are meant to follow your passion and become a cosmetologist.