Makeup Artist Resume Example

After reading this article, you'll feel confident creating a makeup artist resume that effectively showcases your relevant skills and experience. You'll find valuable tips on writing a resume that best showcases your unique skills and achievements. There is also extensive guidance on how to structure your resume to match the job description, and to reflect your experience levels to impress HR specialists and employers. Read on to discover tips for a creative resume, as recommended by Jobseeker's careers experts.

Key sections for a makeup artist resume

Most resumes contain similar key sections, with a makeup artist resume being no different.

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

Resume Header with Contact Details

Your makeup artist resume header should contain your name and contact details. These include your email address and phone number. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can also add that, to give employers the chance to learn more about your skills and experience. It's not necessary to include a photo or any other personal information. Create a clear, well-structured header that acts as the headline of your resume. Use color accents and blocks to help this section stand out and catch the eye of the reader.

Opt for a professional-looking email address based on your name. If your email address could be construed as unprofessional or inappropriate because it contains nicknames or unsuitable language, create a new, more professional email address for your job applications. Always check your contact details to make sure they're up-to-date before you send your resume.

Resume Summary

The next section is the resume summary. The section might also be called 'resume objective' or 'personal profile'. This is a brief introduction to you, your key skills and your career achievements and ambitions. While a resume summary focuses on your career achievements and experience, a resume objective typically focuses on your ambitions for the future. Additionally, make sure your resume summary reflects the job description and focuses on qualities that are relevant to working as a makeup artist.

Alternatively, use this summary to introduce your personal career ambitions and explain why makeup artist roles are a good fit for you at this stage of your career.

A good resume summary is short and snappy, and focused on the skills and experience listed in the job description, with evidence to back it up. It will also help the reader to form their first impressions of you by providing an insight into your personality and unique qualities. See below for some great examples of what to include in your makeup artist resume summary.

Conversely, an ineffective resume summary would include generic, unspecific information on your skills and experience, while failing to provide any useful information on what makes you a unique and interesting candidate. See above for some examples of things to avoid when writing your makeup artist resume summary.

Work History

In your work experience section, list any previous relevant roles you've worked in, as well as your key achievements as a makeup artist. 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.

For each job listed in this section, add some bullet points so the employer can understand the skills you developed, and your achievements. Focus on showcasing the impact you made on the organization, and show evidence of how you made a difference.

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 makeup artist jobs, with evidence to show the value you added. See below for some good examples of what to include in your resume work experience section.

See above for some of the pitfalls to avoid with 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.

Portfolio and Work Samples

Any examples of your work as a makeup artist will help the hiring manager to assess your suitability for makeup artist jobs. If you have a portfolio or personal website, include a link to it here.

Online portfolios tend to be most relevant for creative roles, but you could provide details of any previous successful projects or work published online. Add a link to your portfolio or include separate links to your previous projects in this section. Conversely, if you work in a non-creative sector but have evidence of your work and successful projects published online in some other way, you can include links to that here.

Education

Under education, add details of any degrees or professional qualifications relevant to makeup artist roles.

It's not usually necessary to have a degree for jobs as a makeup artist. Nevertheless, it's still crucial to list your highest or most relevant educational achievements. These might include IMA Certification, and other certifications or courses that highlight your special effects makeup or bridal makeup artistry.

For each entry in this section, add the name and level of your qualification, the institution you studied at, its location and your dates of study. Include bullet points to show any specialist modules you studied, awards or exceptional grades and achievements that can set you apart from other candidates. These will all contribute to creating a positive impression on employers.

Additionally, mentioning any leadership roles or any societies and clubs you participated in while studying shows proactivity and initiative.

Skills

Adding a list of your key skills provides a quick reference for the reader of what you can bring to a makeup artist role. Skills such as airbrush makeup application or attention to detail are particularly useful for makeup artist jobs. Once more, review the job description and pick out any key makeup artist skills listed that match yours. Focus on these skills and any other key transferable skills that make you a strong candidate for the job.

Showcasing hard skills on your makeup artist resume

In your hard skills list, include any specific abilities related to the role you're applying for. These could be technical skills or industry knowledge that showcases your expertise in your chosen profession. Furthermore, an extensive list of hard skills helps to make a compelling case for your makeup artist job applications, as they show employers your understanding of the makeup artist role. 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.

If you want to make a strong impression with your hard skills list, focus on hard skills that align with your specific industry expertise, and that reflect the job description. For inspiration on the right type of hard skills for a makeup artist resume, see below.

How to list soft skills on your makeup artist resume

Soft skills are your transferable skills and personal qualities that make you a good match for a makeup artist position and the organization. Soft skills tend to be more universal than hard skills, and can often apply to multiple jobs and industries. In fact, as technology develops, soft skills are growing in importance for recruiters and employers, so be sure to add several of these to your resume. Think of your best soft skills and add up to five that match the requirements of the job description.

A good soft skills section would include skills that match the job description, and also reflect your key strengths and qualities. See the graphic below for an indication of what to include in a strong soft skills section for a makeup artist resume.

Certifications and Training

Under this section, list any relevant certifications or licenses that are relevant to makeup artist jobs. These could be professional accreditations and licenses, or certifications that improve your level of suitability for the position. Therefore, add any professional licenses or certifications, along with valid dates that show they're still valid.

Below you can find several examples of certifications for a makeup artist resume:

Optional Sections

To provide further information on your suitability for the role, you could add some optional sections to a makeup artist resume. Take a look at the sections below and add any that help you show how and why you're right for the job.

Personal Hobbies and Interests

Adding your hobbies and interests is a legitimate way of showing off your skills and personal qualities. Your hobbies and interests are useful for a makeup artist resume if you want to show a different side to your personality, or to stand out among other candidates. They can also be valuable if you're a junior candidate without much relevant work 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.

Volunteering

This section can be valuable for a makeup artist resume, if you've done any voluntary work that showcases your relevant skills. Include the title of your volunteer role, who you volunteered for, as well as the dates you carried out the work. Provide brief details of your responsibilities and the impact you made.

References

Standard makeup artist 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 makeup artist resume

Add strong verbs to your work experience section to show the hiring manager the impact you made in your previous roles. The suggested action verbs below will help the reader to understand your key qualities and the impact you made on the organization.

If you want to create a resume that stands out from the crowd, use Jobseeker's expert-designed resume templates. You can also find cover letter templates that work to get you noticed by employers.

Example resume for makeup artist applications

Now that you know everything that needs to go into your makeup artist resume, let's review an example resume that you can use as a guide when creating your own:

Guide to making your resume ATS-friendly

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are one of the key ways recruiters and employers manage the hiring process. The systems can screen candidates by scanning and ranking resumes based on each candidate's likely suitability for the vacancy. When you're writing your makeup artist resume, there are several things you can do to make sure your resume stands the best chance of passing the ATS stage.

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

• Choose a resume structure that matches the traditional, reverse-chronological layout or alternatively, the functional resume structure. This should make your resume more readable for ATS applications.
• Use keywords throughout your resume that reflect the job description, so ATS resume scanners can recognize a strong connection between your skills, and those in the job description.
• Add each section with clear headings that match the established resume conventions, so ATS software can easily identify each part of your resume.
• Adopt a resume design that uses clear, professional design principles and leaves white space for your content to breathe. Use the most readable fonts and incorporate subtle design elements to enhance the readability of your document.
• Make sure your resume is as concise as possible, so ATS applications can easily scan and identify the required details.

Key takeaways for your makeup artist resume

Writing a strong, impactful resume is about using your experience to demonstrate your relevant skills and achievements. You can do this through your work history or other resume sections. Choose a resume structure that makes the most of your relevant experience, whether through work or other activities, and be sure to tailor your resume to match the job description.

HR-approved resume templates and other tools by Jobseeker are the easiest way to create a winning job application. Sign up and follow the simple instructions to complete a resume that stands out from the crowd. Jobseeker's expert-designed cover letter generator can help your applications make a strong first impression on hiring managers. Find detailed cover letter examples to complement your resume and get your application noticed.

Sources:

(1) Careers for creative people, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/creative-careers.htm

(2) Occupational Outlook Handbook, Craft and Fine Arts, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/craft-and-fine-artists.htm