12 Esthetician Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 9.1% employment growth for estheticians and skincare specialists between 2022 and 2032. This is much faster than the average for all occupations. This sector often offers flexibility because part-time work is common, and work schedules may include evenings and weekends.

However, let's keep it real — it's tough out there. It's all about having the right mix of talent and tough skin, especially since you're getting up close and personal with your customers' skin. Sometimes, things can get a bit icky, like dealing with not-so-great hygiene or tackling those stubborn skin problems that haven't been looked after. But, here's the thing, despite these challenges, estheticians are like skin superheroes. They're tackling everything from pesky acne to annoying rashes, making a real difference and feeling awesome about it.

If you're searching for a job in esthetics, having a strong resume is important to catch recruiters' attention and take the next step in your career. This guide will help you create that resume.

Here’s what you’ll learn here:

• Which resume format works best for an esthetician resume;
• How to structure your resume when you have minimal or no esthetician experience;
• What details recruiters want to see on an esthetician’s resume;
• How to showcase both your hard and soft skills;
• Advice on featuring your esthetician license and any additional certifications.

Before we get started, you might want to explore other beauty and wellness resume guides. Here's a list of some that could be helpful.

• Medical esthetician Resume
• Cosmetologist Resume
• Hair Stylist Resume
• Makeup Artist Resume
• Assistant Spa Manager Resume
• Salon Manager Resume
• Esthetician Cover Letter

How to format an esthetician resume

If you're a seasoned esthetician, the reverse-chronological resume is great for showing your progress and achievements in different spas or beauty salons.

For those new to aesthetics, a functional or hybrid layout could be more suitable. These resume variations focus on your skills and potential rather than your work history, which can be ideal for demonstrating your willingness to work in the aesthetics field.

Here are some tailored resume tips and tricks:

• Choose a resume template that resonates with your sense of aesthetics. A single-column layout has enough space for your info and is easy to look over.
• Select clear and professional fonts. Beyond Arial, Calibri, and Times New Roman, our resume builder offers ATS-friendly options like Lato, Rubik, and Volkhov. Keep your main text size between 10 and 12 points for best readability.
• Keep 1-inch margins around your resume. This standard setting keeps it neat and enhances the visual appeal.
• Aim to keep your resume to one page, which is typically more impactful than a longer document.
• Include a header with your name and professional title, along with your contact information and LinkedIn profile link.
• Always save your resume in PDF format to preserve its layout across various devices and platforms.

If your esthetician resume needs improvement, try our intuitive AI resume checker. This tool checks your resume on 16 important areas for free to make sure it’s eye-catching and helps you get more interviews.

Here are additional resume sections that an esthetician should include on their resume.

Choosing how to organize the sections of your resume depends a lot on the esthetician position you're targeting. Take the time to look into the job posting to identify relevant keywords to include in your resume. Here's what your resume needs to cover.

Now, we're heading into the section on your past job experiences. Employers use this part to check if your professional background matches what they're looking for in a candidate.

How to write your esthetician resume experience

Review a few esthetician resume examples, and you'll notice a pattern. A lot of them detail the duties performed, yet they tend to leave out the outcomes achieved. Merely listing services or treatments you've provided as an esthetician doesn't add much value to your resume. Instead, the emphasis should be on the actual results and improvements your work brought to clients.

Look at these two ways of describing the same job.

Here's the problem with this example:

• Doesn't show how the advice actually helped clients.
• No numbers to show success like more sales or happy clients.
• Leaves out special skills or steps used in skincare.
• Doesn't say how helping with products or workshops made things better.

Let’s look at a better example.

The second example is a game-changer. It packs in all the metrics that catch an employer's eye and show tasks and tangible results. These measurable outcomes aren’t just for show. Employers are in the market for individuals who can contribute to customer growth and, of course, happiness.

It's also important to make sure your resume works well with ATS (Applicant Tracking System). Employers rely on these systems to filter resumes, scanning for specific keywords, skills, and qualifications that align with the job's needs.

Ensuring your resume is ATS-friendly can greatly enhance your chances of matching the desired position. By presenting quantifiable achievements, an esthetician's resume clearly communicates the candidate's direct impact on key business areas, significantly boosting their chances of being hired.

How to quantify impact on your resume

Every professional should be able to demonstrate their quantifiable accomplishments and estheticians aren't an exception to this rule. Real facts and figures that show off your competency are crucial. Here's some specific advice:

• Mention the number of treatment techniques mastered.
• Specify the number of years spent in the industry.
• State the number of clients you've worked with.
• Reference the percentage increase of return clients.
• Detail the number of skincare product lines you're familiar with.
• Indicate the number of positive reviews or ratings received from clients.
• Express the number of certifications or training completed.

Use numbers to show what you can do, even if you haven't worked in aesthetics yet. Read more to find out how.

How do I write an esthetician resume with no experience

Starting as an esthetician without work experience in the field might look challenging, because the field ishighly saturated. That's why it's important to consider all the relevant experiences you've gathered over the years. For instance, if you've had the chance to work in a student-run spa during your studies, that counts as valuable experience. Many employers actually prefer hiring new estheticians because they are flexible, eager to learn, and very passionate.

If you’ve worked in customer service before, that’s a big plus. It shows you can deal with different types of people, which is important in the esthetic industry. Besides, any retail experience you bring to the table is a bonus. It's proof that you have what it takes to effectively upsell services and recommend products to clients, adding value to your role as an esthetician right from the start.

This section offers tips on crafting a resume for those new to the esthetic industry.

• Objective statement: Craft a compelling statement expressing your enthusiasm for the skincare role, your relevant experiences (if any), and your career aspirations. Make it straightforward and tailored to the job description as a reference.
• Skills section: Highlight your strong interpersonal skills such as customer service and sales ability. Discuss how your prior work experience has equipped you for a role as an esthetician.
• Experience Section: Focus on any previous work that can be linked to skincare and esthetics. Even if your past roles weren't directly in this field, emphasize activities that involved customer interaction, sales, or personal care services.
• Education Section: Detail your educational background, especially any courses or training relevant to skincare, beauty, or wellness. Including certifications in esthetics significantly enhances your resume.

How to list your hard and soft skills on your resume

Your skills should be the assets that you have to offer. Stating that you're a fast learner, you love teamwork, and love helping people are good things to boast about.

Split your skills into two buckets: hard skills for the nitty-gritty, job-specific tasks, and soft skills for all the ways you shine in personal interactions.

Hard skills might include proficiency in facial treatment techniques, understanding of skincare product ingredients, and experience with esthetician tools and equipment.

Soft skills, such as empathy, communication, customer service, and discretion, are just as important. They demonstrate your capacity to understand client needs, recommend suitable skincare solutions, and build lasting client relationships.

Here are some must-have skills for an esthetician's resume.

How to list your education and certifications on your resume

Different states have their own rules for the education of estheticians and in the common case, a university degree isn't necessary. Generally, skincare specialists need to finish a program in cosmetology or esthetics and get a license. The required class hours can vary by state, with an average of around 600 hours. To obtain a license, specialists must pass both practical and written exams. New estheticians often get additional training on the job, particularly when working with chemicals. With continuous introductions of new products and advances in medicine, organizations like the Professional Beauty Association and the American Association of Cosmetology Schools provide ongoing education via seminars and webinars. This ensures specialists are knowledgeable about the latest treatments and industry updates.

Here's an example of how to correctly describe your education.

Some states, including Oregon, Washington, Virginia, Utah, Minnesota, Nevada, and the District of Columbia (D.C.) provide extra licensing levels for estheticians. This higher tier of license, often called a master or advanced esthetician license, is obtained through more hours of education and work experience. In several cases, master or advanced estheticians have a broader scope of practice due to their additional training. If you're in one of these states, it's best to contact your local licensing board for specific qualification details. Achieving this higher-tier license can enhance your career opportunities and potentially lead to higher earnings.

Another way to stand out would be doing some free certifications. For example, Barbacide has a course where they give you a certification once you pass their test. However, this could be just an extra point. Don't rely on it to impress hiring managers.

Let's see additional certifications you can include in your portfolio.

After entering your work and educational achievements in esthetics, look again at the first part of your resume. Use this space to sum up your skills and successes into a brief opening summary section, keeping to a maximum of five sentences.

How to write your esthetician resume summary or objective

Creating an effective resume summary or objective for an esthetician role involves concisely presenting your skills, experience, and the value you add to the position. The decision between using a summary or an objective hinges on your professional background and future aspirations. Here’s a guide on how to navigate these options.

Resume summary

A resume summary is ideal for estheticians with significant experience. It should spotlight your key achievements, essential skills, and how you can address the needs of the spa or salon.

Follow this formula for success:

Resume objective

A resume objective is great for estheticians just starting out. It highlights what you want to achieve, your main skills, and how you intend to improve and support the spa or salon's success.

Tips for crafting your summary or objective as an esthetician:

• Be Concise: Aim for a brief 3-4 sentences that succinctly present your professional background or career goals.
• Customize: Tailor your summary or objective to the esthetician role and the spa or salon you're interested in, demonstrating how your expertise and achievements align with their needs.
• Quantify achievements: Use concrete examples and metrics to showcase your accomplishments in past positions (e.g., "Performed over 200 facial treatments with a 95% client satisfaction rate").
• Focus on relevant skills: Point out important abilities for an esthetician, like being skilled in skincare treatments, providing exceptional customer service, and suggesting the right products, especially those mentioned in the job post.

Investing effort into a tailored and concise summary or objective can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your resume.

Additional sections for an esthetician resume

To elevate your esthetician resume, consider adding three or four extra sections to give recruiters a more complete view of you as both an individual and a professional:

• Achievements: Highlight specific successes, like competition awards, happy customer reviews, or skincare events you helped run to demonstrate your dedication to esthetics.
• Passions: Share your hobbies and interests, such as reading, hiking, or contributing to community wellness programs, to display a well-rounded character.
• Language skills: Highlight any additional languages you speak to illustrate your capability to interact with a diverse client base.
• Volunteer experience: If relevant, discuss your volunteer efforts, particularly if they involve skincare, health, or customer service activities.

Key takeaways

Before you help clients with their skin and beauty routines, let's recap the most important things about your esthetician resume.

• Select a resume layout that best displays your esthetician experiences and abilities.
• Tailor your resume specifically to the spa or salon job you're applying for to ensure your skills and experiences align with what the employer is seeking.
• Emphasize your qualifications by listing both hard skills and soft skills.
• Clearly list your esthetician license, additional relevant certifications, and any pertinent education to highlight your professional qualifications.
• Demonstrate your effectiveness and accomplishments with specific figures, such as the total number of treatments you've performed or the client satisfaction rate increase you've achieved.
• Focus on including experiences that underline your esthetician skills, including relevant volunteer work or positions in related fields.
• Ensure your resume is optimized for Applicant Tracking Systems by incorporating relevant keywords and adopting an easily readable format.