The author, Silvia Sanchez, graduated from the University of Alberta with a B.A. in Psychology and has over 15 years of experience in the career-consulting field.
bacteria,beauty industry experts,inspection,personal care services,sterilization
As Service Providers, we aspire to send clients home feeling amazing and relaxed. We know what it takes to make our clients look their best, but do we know how to protect our clients?
Germs and viruses will turn that amazing service upside down!
Let’s take a look at some of the guidelines set out by Alberta Health Services to keep our clients looking gorgeous, glowing and most importantly- germ-free!
Some serious viruses and infections can be and have been known to be spread in salons and spas.
Hepatitis C, MRSA, respiratory disease, fungus and even Hot Tub Folliculitis (an infection caused by a type of bacteria that thrives in poorly sanitized foot baths) have been confirmed.
Are You Inspection Ready?
These are some of the guidelines to follow to help you protect your clients:
All work surfaces shall be constructed of smooth, non-porous and cleanable materials (i.e. painted drywall, vinyl composite tiles, linoleum or sealed concrete, etc.).
Work areas must be adequately lit and ventilated.
Client contact surfaces (tables, chairs, headrests etc.) must have a smooth, non-porous and easy to clean finish.
Adequate storage space must be available for equipment, instruments and supplies.
Suitable garbage containers must be readily available, maintained and emptied regularly.
Approved disinfectants for disinfecting equipment, surfaces and reusable instruments must be available.
An acceptable skin antiseptic shall be provided for skin preparation and post treatment.
Items, that cannot be properly disinfected/sterilized or are intended for single use, must be discarded after each client use.
A puncture-resistant container shall be provided for the disposal of needles, razor blades and other sharp devices or instruments.
Pigments, cosmetics and other supplies must be labeled and handled in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Chemicals, detergents and cleaners must be stored, maintained and prepared in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
The spread of bacteria is completely preventable and should be the #1 priority.
So, remember to follow all sanitization procedures and use the proper level of disinfection tools. Because no matter how gorgeous your client looks when they leave, a bacterial infection traced back to you is a BEAUTY BANISHER!
Please refer to the Personal Service Regulation and the associated Health Standards and Guidelines for a complete list of requirements.
If your work culture and mission are not parallel to your personal values, it is only a matter of time before you decide no amount of money is worth your time at your current job.
Changing careers is scary but its more common than you think. We have a theory based on observations, our knowledge of human behaviour, and our understanding of social psychology: We go through multiple career changes due to an abundance of career options, and our values changing as we mature.
Many people choose the now-known-as Personal Care Services industry. There are several ways to join, but first we recommend becoming fully informed before making life-changing decisions. We believe choosing a career is dependent among many factors, for example, interests, abilities, work values, personal values, and future life plans.
Where to begin…
ALIS is a great place to start your research. This website will help you gather information about the credentials necessary to reach your goal, and what you can expect in terms of job duties, salary and wages, occupational outlook, plus more!
In addition, if employment is your goal, review job banks in order to have an idea of how likely you are to find a job after training.
However, if you are interested in self-employment, a great tool to start with is the Business Link.
At ESG, we specialize in beauty industry careers. If you are thinking about changing careers. furthering your education, or transitioning back to employment, we can provide industry information and career and employment consulting to help you make the right decision.
Esthetics is not a regulated industry in Alberta, Canada. However, industry guidelines exist to help estheticians reach their goal of becoming effective industry educators. We recommend that estheticians have at minimum 2-3 years of experience in their field before taking the next step into education.
Different roads to teaching esthetics.
Depending on your final goal, there are different ways to become an esthetics instructor in Alberta. Ask yourself a few questions to help you clarify your goal. For example, do you visualize one-on-one training or large classes? Do you want to be self-employed? Or would you prefer to work for a school?
Working at an existing school is a good path for those that want to mentor future service providers without worrying too much about administrative details . This pathway follows a student-centered approach where the focus is the development of your students.
Schools have their own criteria when hiring these positions. Leadership and organizational skills are important qualifications for instructors.
Smaller classes or one-on-one training, also known as private trainers or private vocational training, is the path for entrepreneurs.
Private trainers develop their own curriculum. In addition, they are often responsible for student recruitment and procurement of goods. One-on-one training is a good way to start as it allows for low delivery costs with little financial risk.
Certainly regulations exist at most levels of government to ensure private trainers meet minimum licensing requirements in their fields. Consequently, there are many requirements to meet to achieve a training license. For instance, private trainers must show that they have consulted industry leaders in approving their curriculum.
Will I need a teaching license?
If you are visualizing larger classes or courses that will cost students over $1,000 in tuition fees, you will need a teaching license. This license is different than a business license issued by your municipality.
Not all private educators have curriculums that require a teaching license. There a few exemptions to licensing revolving around the price and purpose of your course amongst other factors.
What is the difference between licensing and accreditation?
Licensing refers to the provincial government’s approval of a private trainer. Accreditation refers to the ability to offer students federal and provincial student loan options to pay for their tuition.
Your goals and values will help you decide whether you want to pursue a job versus a career. But first, let’s clarify the difference.
Job vs. Career vs. Occupation
An occupation is a group of similar jobs that require some type of training and the continuous development of your skills and knowledge in order to remain current in the field. An occupation is a specific category of work; examples of occupations in the beauty industry include Estheticians, Hairstylists, and Nail Technicians. People can have different kinds of jobs within the respective occupations; for example, Hairstylists can choose to specialize in specific skills within their position, such as cutting vs. colouring.
A job is a particular position you hold doing specific duties. In the beauty industry, if the occupation is Laser Tech, an example of a job is all the duties you would provide at any particular spa, for example, providing IPL/Laser treatments, product sales, customer service, sanitation duties, and any other duties you may agree to when you accept any given job.
A career is the sum of all work activities. You can think of it like a portfolio of all the efforts you make that are related to field you work in, in our case, the beauty industry. In addition to the work activities you achieve, also included are any activities that you do at home, at school, in your community, etc.
Our job bank is beauty industry-specific and accessed by beauty professionals looking for employment opportunities in Alberta, Canada.
About us
Executive Spa Group (ESG) is a beauty industry resource centre. In addition to one-on-one career and employment services, we offer free online resources to help employers connect with job seekers.
Browse job bank by Category
Job seekers can search for jobs based on job category. With 27 categories to choose from, our job bank accommodates many beauty industry employment opportunities.
Browse by Job Type
Job seekers can also search for opportunities based on job type.
ESG tips when job searching
Photo credit: Andrew Neel
Contact ESG for help creating a resume
Inform contacts used as references of your active job search
Avoid lengthy resume or cover letters
Keep job search records
Ensure voicemail is appropriate for job search
ESG tips when interviewing
Arrive on time, no excuses!
Prepare “ready-to-go” answers using the STAR method
Create your own list of questions for them
Do not offer private information until an offer of employment has been made in writing
