Esthetician Resume Example

This complete guide to an esthetician resume will equip you with the tools you need to compete in your applications. You'll find useful insights on constructing a resume that makes the most of your unique skills, experience and strengths. You'll also learn how to tailor your resume according to the job description, and depending on your experience levels. Continue reading to find the best esthetician resume tips from careers experts at Jobseeker.

Core sections to include in an esthetician resume

Most resumes contain similar key sections, with an esthetician resume being no different. If you're an entry-level candidate without much work experience, that section may be less prominent in your resume. You may focus instead on sections that showcase your skill set, such as education, projects, hobbies and hard and soft skills lists.

Your resume layout and structure may differ depending on your experience levels, but make sure your resume includes the following:

Resume Header and Personal Information

In your esthetician resume header, list your name, email address, phone number and address or location. You can also add your LinkedIn, if you have one, to help employers better understand your work history and skills. While in some countries, you might include additional personal information or a photo, these aren't necessary. Be aware of the amount of space your resume header takes up. You don't want your contact details to take space away from the main content of your resume, so keep this section as brief as possible.

Only include professional, name-based email addresses in your resume header. If you have an old email address that uses nicknames, puns, references to your personal interests or anything else that could appear unprofessional, set up a new email just for your job applications. Finally, always double-check your contact details are correct and up-to-date before sending your resume.

Resume Summary

Next, write a short paragraph to introduce yourself. You could also call this section 'resume summary' or 'personal profile'. In two or three sentences, explain your professional background, achievements and key skills. If you choose to write a resume summary, this focuses on your career experience to date. On the other hand, a resume objective addresses your future plans and career ambitions. Additionally, make sure your resume summary reflects the job description and focuses on qualities that are relevant to working as an esthetician.

Alternatively, write a paragraph that concentrates on your career objectives and how this role fits with your wider ambitions and progression.

A great resume summary should highlight why you're an ideal candidate for esthetician roles by showing key skills and qualities that reflect the job description and provide evidence to support them. It should also introduce your personality and unique qualities to the reader, to help them start to form an opinion about you as a candidate. See below for some great examples of what to include in your esthetician resume summary.

Alternatively, a poor resume summary would include bland, generic information that does little to prove your suitability for the role, while failing to provide any useful insights on you as a person or as a candidate. The graphic above shows some of the pitfalls to avoid when creating your resume summary.

Skills

In your skills section, list any skills you've acquired or developed that are relevant to esthetician positions. Consider adding microdermabrasion machine operation, attention to detail or any other necessary skills for the job. Additionally, read the job description to make sure your skills match those required for esthetician positions. You could also include some unique skills that help you stand out as a candidate.

How to list hard skills on your esthetician resume

Hard skills are the key technical skills required for esthetician positions. They include specific industry knowledge and abilities that you could learn on the job, or through a specialist qualification. Furthermore, these skills are essential for an esthetician resume as they showcase your expertise in the field. Aim to include four or five key hard skills. If you have space, explain how and where you've used that skill to create successful outcomes in your career. These skills will demonstrate your credentials and show how you meet the job description.

For an effective resume hard skills section, focus on the technical skills that are most essential in the job description, and that match your specific expertise. Some examples of the best hard skills for an esthetician resume are listed below.

Soft skills on your esthetician resume

In your soft skills list, include any personal characteristics that make you a good fit for an esthetician job. Soft skills tend to be more universal than hard skills, but they're no less important. In fact, you can develop soft skills throughout your career, and they tend to be suitable for various roles and professions. It's best to aim for four or five soft skills that match the job description and reflect your strongest personal qualities.

Your soft skills section should make the most of your unique personal qualities and strengths, while also reflecting the requirements laid out in the job description. See below for some examples of useful soft skills for an esthetician resume.

Education

In this section list any educational qualifications or degrees that are relevant to esthetician roles.

If you're applying for esthetician positions you'll typically need to have a degree. A Bachelor of Science in Cosmetology and Esthetics will usually help your chances of success. You could also list any qualifications that demonstrate your microdermabrasion machine operation or chemical peels application.

List every relevant qualification, including the name and level of the course, the name of the school, college or university, its location and your graduation date. You can enhance this section by adding bullet points that show any outstanding grades, awards or achievements and any specialist subjects you studied. These details can make you stand out from other candidates.

If you took part in any volunteering or you were a leader or member of any university societies, you could also mention these in your education section.

Relevant Certifications and Licenses

Your certifications section is the place to mention any relevant professional esthetician certifications, licenses or qualifications. These could be professional accreditations and licenses, or certifications that improve your level of suitability for the position. Therefore, include the details of any licenses and professional certifications required for esthetician roles, along with completion dates so employers can see you're up-to-date.

See below for some suggestions of relevant certifications for an esthetician resume:

Work Experience

Next, list your relevant employment history and any key achievements that show you're suitable for an esthetician position. List each relevant role in reverse-chronological order starting with your current or most recent role. Add your job title, the organization name, its location and the dates you worked there.

In addition, include a few bullet points under each job, highlighting your key achievements so the hiring manager can see how they led to successful outcomes. Back up each point with evidence to show how you meet the job description.

An effective resume work experience section is one that constantly echoes the skills and experience listed in the job description, and shows how you used your skills to positive effect in each job. Each bullet point should be carefully crafted to showcase a particular skill or achievement relevant to esthetician jobs, with evidence to show the value you added. Review some strong examples of resume work experience sections in the graphic below.

The example above can give you some idea of what not to include in your resume work experience section. Less effective resume work experience sections might take a more vague, descriptive approach to previous jobs. They focus on responsibilities and everyday duties rather than referencing career achievements and the value you've added for previous employers.

Optional Information

There are several additional sections you could add to an esthetician resume, to improve your chances of success. Choose any optional sections that showcase essential or desirable skills or experience for esthetician jobs.

Personal Hobbies and Interests

Hobbies and interests can be a useful way of showing your skills and experience beyond your work and education. Hobbies can help you show different sides of your personality and make your resume more memorable to hiring managers. They're ideal to include if you're a junior candidate who might lack real world esthetician experience. Just make sure any hobbies and interests you include in your resume add genuine insight into your personality, in ways other sections of the resume can't.

Volunteer Work

If you're lacking relevant esthetician work experience, volunteer work can help to show you still have the relevant skills. Add any voluntary roles, including your position, the name of the organization, the dates of your voluntary work and a brief explanation of your responsibilities and achievements.

References

Standard esthetician resumes don't tend to include references, but you might find them requested occasionally. Check the job advert to see if you'll need to add references to your resume. Before adding any referees to your resume, ask them for their assistance and prepare them for contact by the employer.

Best action words for your esthetician resume

Using strong action words to make your resume resonate with the employer. The suggested action verbs below will help the reader to understand your key qualities and the impact you made on the organization.

Jobseeker's clean, attractive resume formats can help your applications make a strong impression on employers. Check them out for help designing a winning resume, and see our cover letter templates to help win over recruiters and hiring managers.

Example of an esthetician resume

Now we've covered the main sections to include in your esthetician resume, let's take a look at how it all comes together in the example below:

Tips on creating an ATS-optimized resume

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) help recruiters and employers to streamline their hiring process. They can store and process data, including applications and applicant data, quickly and efficiently. One of the jobs ATS applications are increasingly responsible for is initial candidate screening. The systems can quickly scan and rank resumes based on how closely they match the job description. When writing your esthetician resume, a few simple tips can help you pass the ATS stage with a higher-ranking resume, giving you a better chance of success with your applications.

Here are a few quick tips for creating an ATS-friendly resume:

• Adopt a traditional structure for your resume, such as a reverse-chronological format or a functional format. These are likely to be the easiest layouts for ATS software to scan.
• Use of job description keywords throughout your resume will help it rank higher in the ATS scanning stage, as it will more closely match the requirements laid out in the job description.
• Include clear headings in each section that match the traditional resume structure and format. This will make it easier for the ATS software to scan your resume.
• Use design elements that help make your resume more readable. These might include white space, clear, professional fonts and subtle color accents to help certain elements stand out.
• Use concise language to keep the length of your resume to between one and two pages. This will make it easier to scan for ATS applications.

Takeaways for a winning esthetician resume

If you want to catch the eye of employers and recruiters, you need a professional resume that showcases your best skills and career achievements. Pick a resume format that matches your experience levels, and tailor the content of your resume to reflect the details of the job description.

Jobseeker has a wealth of resume tools, including resume templates and examples, to help you create a winning job application. Sign up today to get started. A stylish, professional cover letter can make all the difference to your job prospects. See Jobseeker's cover letter examples, written by careers experts, to help you craft an eye-catching application.

Sources:

(1) Writing a Resume, California Department of Human Resources: https://www.calhr.ca.gov/employees/Pages/resume-tips.aspx

(2) Resumes, Cover Letters and Job Applications, New York State Department of Labor: https://dol.ny.gov/resumes-cover-letters-and-job-applications