Life After Beauty School: How to Find the Right Salon for You

Graduating from one of our professional programs at Summit Salon Academy Kansas City is a great achievement, and it’s even more exciting when you finally get your cosmetology or esthetics license. So, what’s the next step? How do you find the right opportunities to get your career started quickly?

There’s no doubt about it – having the self-discipline to complete your professional training program takes a lot of effort. Unfortunately, many people stop making the effort after they’ve finished their training and just get a job at the closest salon, waiting for the owners to hand them clients or watching others get the best clientele.

The top 20% of professional cosmetologists and estheticians don’t stop their career efforts when they have their license in their hands. They use their knowledge to find the best career opportunities and start building their clientele fast. How do they do it?

The first steps are perfecting your skills, learning all you can about the industry, becoming business-savvy, and polishing your image through professional marketing:

Practice, practice… then practice some more. When you graduate from your Summit Salon Academy KC Cosmetology or Esthetics program, you’re armed with all the knowledge you need to be successful in your field. But after you’ve gained knowledge about the techniques, you shouldn’t stop practicing them when you get your diploma. Regular practice helps make those techniques second nature, so the more you hone your skills, the better you’ll be – and clients will demand your expert services because they’ll be so impressed with the results.

Commit to a lifetime of learning. You can never gather enough knowledge on any subject, and cosmetology and esthetics are no exception. Even after you graduate, keep your education going by finding a professional mentor and asking questions, shadowing them as much as you can to learn what makes them successful. Join professional organizations in your field and attend their events and tradeshows to soak in the latest information about styles and techniques. Some stylists, colorists, and makeup artists even take art classes that aren’t related to their field to keep their artistic creativity alive, which is a crucial talent when you’re designing styles and performing creative techniques like balayage hair coloring. Subscribe to all the top beauty magazines. They’ll help you keep on top of the latest styles, so you’ll know what to offer your clients. And finally, if you’re a Summit Salon Academy Esthetics graduate, take advantage of the CIDESCO Continuing Education Program as soon as you can to make you a top candidate in your field! CIDESCO is a globally recognized credential that tells the world that you’re at the top of the class in your career.

Pay attention to the business side. At Summit Salon Academy KC, we give you all the tools you need to be a successful cosmetologist or esthetician, including training in the business of salons and spas. Pay careful attention to these resources, because understanding salon management, advertising, customer service, and customer relations are make-or-break skills that you’ll need to be in that top 20%!

Market yourself as a professional. In today’s world, salon and spa clients want to interact with you more than just once a month in the salon – they want to engage with you on social media and send links to your website with friends. Develop your marketing skills and start building your clientele digitally. When you’re shopping around for just the right salon for your business, salon owners will be impressed by your professionalism when you share your website and social media links with them. Also, extend that professionalism to the way you dress. Clients who come in for the latest styles want a stylist or colorist who presents themselves the way they hope they’ll look!

The sky is the limit for your new esthetics or cosmetology career! Once you graduate from Summit Salon Academy KC, use your skills to keep the momentum going and create a professional image – with the skills to match – that will make you in demand as one of the top 20% in your field!

Don’t sit around and wait for your new career! Get started today with exceptional cosmetology and esthetics career training at Summit Salon Academy KC. Contact our education professionals today to get started on your career – and when you graduate, take these steps to prepare yourself for a position in a busy, high-end salon and spa! You can find us at 815 West 23rd St S in Independence, MO, or call us at (816) 252-4247 x303 for admissions information. You can also take our online career assessment to see if a cosmetologist or esthetician career is the right choice for you. Message us online to ask questions and learn more about our exciting cosmetology and esthetics programs, and for more information, you can also schedule a tour of our professional cosmetology and esthetics school.