Why is it so hard to write a resume?

Writing a resume is difficult when you lack work experience or the training required to do a specific job. However, even when you have experience and/or training, putting the words down on paper can still prove a challenging task.

We recommend breaking down your resume-writing into two components:

• Prep Day
• Typing Day

Prep Day

What is your job goal? Have you narrowed this down to the industry? The particular employer? The more research you do, the better your resume will look.

Now that you’ve thought about your goal, allow yourself some time to think about the skills you think you need to have for your goal. For example, if you want to work at a “ABC Salon and Spa” as a receptionist, ask yourself, “what skills does that receptionist need to have?”

• A good receptionist has a friendly demeanour and a welcoming smile
• A good receptionist knows about services and products sold
• A good receptionist is able to answer questions from clients
• A good receptionist needs to work well with people
• A good receptionist knows basic math
• A good receptionist is able to use point of sales and booking systems
• A good receptionist has good phone manners
• A good receptionist ensures the clean maintenance of the facility
• A good receptionist supports the team

Now that you’ve thought about the skills you would need for that particular position, ask yourself, “what skills do I have that relate?”

Don’t focus so much on your duties at your previous job, as much as the skills you applied there.

If you have little to no work experience, think about skills you may use on your free time. What are your hobbies? Do they include particular skills?

Now that we have a list of your skills to pick from for later, our second task is to think about the personality traits required for your goal.

For example, a good receptionist has the following traits:

• A good receptionist is friendly
• A good receptionist is punctual
• A good receptionist is organized
• A good receptionist is intuitive
• A good receptionist is research-oriented

Now that you’ve thought about the traits you would need for that particular position, ask yourself, “what traits do I have that relate?”

Typing Day

Now that you have well-though-out ideas, organizing them into a resume will be a breeze!

Types of Resumes

1. Chronological resume- your best bet if you have sufficient experience and the training required for your objective
2. Functional resume- an excellent choice for those with little to no work experience
3. Combo resume- best for those with skills from another industry not related to your job goal

Check out these helpful links:

Find a Job: A workbook to help you find the job you want

Work Search Basics

Visit our job bank.

Visit our job bank for beauty industry jobs. It is Alberta Beauty Industry- focused and contains up-to-date job listings in Alberta. 

Post your resume in our Resume Bank.

Our resume bank allows you to upload your information for Alberta beauty industry employers to view. We respect your privacy and confidentiality, employers must have a verified account to view your resume.

Before uploading your resume, consider the following notes for protecting your identity.

Are you an ESG alum?

We will help you with your career goals, including your resume! Call to book an appointment with our Career and Employment Consultant to discuss your career path.

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Are you interested in a beauty industry job but lack the requirements? ESG offers short training courses to help you reach your goals one step at a time.

With ESG, you can custom-design your beauty career by taking the courses you are interested in. If you are joining the beauty industry, we recommend starting off with esthetics basics like Manicures and Pedicures or Waxing and Tinting.

EXECUTIVE SPA GROUP

Beauty Industry Resource Centre

(780) 604 2772

How does it work?

Our multiple choice questionnaire makes creating your BEAUTYPROfile a new fun way to look for work!

Once you create your BEAUTYPROfile, it will be posted on our website where hiring beauty industry employers can review your profile.

BEFORE UPLOADING…consider the following notes for protecting your identity when creating your beautyPROfile:

• ESG will never ask you to include your social insurance number, full name, home address, driver’s license number, credit card or bank account numbers, or other personal identifying information on your beautyPROfile.
• Cell phone numbers are generally unlisted, home phone numbers are not, therefore, provide your cell phone number instead of giving out your home phone number.
• Creating an email address that doesn’t include your full name or other identifying information to be used only for your job search is the safest way to go.
• Always meet with an employer in a public place.

CREATE YOUR BEAUTYPROFILE.

Interview Tips for Beauty Industry Job Seekers

At ESG, we understand interviews can be a scary thing, so we decided to share some interview tips with beauty industry job seekers.

Before we start, let’s keep in mind a few things…

Things to remember:

• Both parties want to make a deal
• First, show you have the skills required
• Second, find out if you are actually interested in the job

SETTING UP THE INTERVIEW

Try to follow these steps:

• Find out as much as you can: Who is interviewing you and what are their positions in the salon/spa?
• Always answer your phone professionally while looking for work
• Voicemail- make sure your message reflects your professionalism

DURING THE INTERVIEW

Things to remember:

• They don’t know you, or your skills and knowledge. Explain yourself thoroughly when answering questions
• Ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions such as pay and benefits
• Body language. Refrain from crossing your arms, slouching, etc.
• Ask to rephrase if you do not understand the question
• Ask if you can take notes. Writing down questions helps some people concentrate and also gives you the opportunity to come back to a question if you get stuck. Clarify to the interviewer that you intend to leave your notes behind
• Thank the interviewer

Typical Questions

1. Questions about you and your skills
“Tell me about yourself/Strengths/weaknesses.”
Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. The interviewer wants to ensure you are working on your current weaknesses.

2. “What if” questions
“Tell me about a time when you had a conflict with a coworker.”
The interviewer wants to know how you have actually handled conflict, not how you hope to handle conflict in a best-case scenario.

3. Your interest in the spa/salon
“Why do you want to work here?”
The interviewer is looking for commitment. NEVER give a vague answer. Show the interviewer you’ve done your research.

4. Plans and expectations
“Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”
The interviewer wants to make sure that you are motivated enough to be promoted in time.

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We recommend you write down answers to all the questions above and practice reciting them before your interview. Writing your answers will prepare your response and avoid those awkward “ummm”s.

Be prepared for a technical interview if your first meeting goes well!

We hope our interview tips help. Good luck on your interview!

Visit our job bank.

EXECUTIVE SPA GROUP
Beauty Industry Resource Centre
(780) 604 2772
executivespagroup.com

Cover Letter Template for Beauty Industry Jobs

Cover letters are an important piece of your application package. Not only do they express a bit about your professional background, they give the employer hints about your language skills, plus the way they can expect you to express yourself verbally.

In the beauty industry, language is very important as it is the number one tool we use to build relationships with our clients.

Every cover letter needs to be customized. This makes applying for employment a bothersome process. It prevents you from sending a mass email with your résumé to all employers all at once.

However, employers do not like receiving application packages that were obviously sent to the masses. It is quite apparent when an applicant has not taken the time to research the potential employer and is applying anywhere and everywhere. These are the résumés that end up in the shred pile before anyone gets a chance to review them.

As a beauty industry resource centre, we encourage all service providers looking for employment to use a cover letter in the application package. In this article, we will share the basic information that should be included in your cover letter. Follow the template we provide, and customizing a cover letter will be much easier 😉

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BEAUTY INDUSTRY COVER LETTER OUTLINE

Your Full Name
Your address
City, Province, Postal Code

BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE

Name of Recipient
Recipient’s position
Company Full Name
Street address
City, Province, Postal Code

BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE
BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE

DATE

BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE
BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE

RE: Position Title (Job Reference Number, if available)

(BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE)

GREETING: Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name:

*TIP: Address the person by last name. To be gender-neutral, don’t use Mr./Ms. and use the person’s full name instead (e.g. Dear Taylor Smith). If you do not know who to address, use “To whom this may concern”. This is the ONLY time you should be using this greeting.

BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE

FIRST PARAGRAPH: Why are you writing? Explain your reason. If you are applying for a specific job, state how you heard about the opportunity (newspaper? Online job bank? Word of Mouth? Etc.). If you’re not applying for a specific job, say WHY you are interested in working for this organization.

*TIP: Give one brief reason why you want to work for that spa/salon- do you like the product line they carry? Do you enjoy performing the specific services they offer? Etc.) If someone referred you to the employer, name that person (for example, ‘Anna Thompson, your Head of Esthetics’, suggested I write to you).

BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE

MIDDLE PARAGRAPH(S): Why do you think you are a good fit for this position in this spa/salon? Point out any key experience (including volunteer, training or school experience) that qualifies you for the position.

*TIP: Keep your paragraphs short. If you are responding to a job posting, explain how your skills and experience match those described in the posting.

*EXTRA TIP: Use similar language that they did on the job posting. Similar, not identical.

BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE

LAST PARAGRAPH: State that a résumé (and if available, a portfolio) is enclosed for more information. Request an interview by expressing that you would like to meet, and offer to provide additional information if needed.

*TIP: Include your phone number in the last paragraph so that piece of information is readily available should the employer want to contact you immediately.

BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE

SIGN-OFF: Sincerely,

SPACE FOR SIGNATURE…SPACE FOR SIGNATURE…SPACE FOR SIGNATURE
SPACE FOR SIGNATURE…SPACE FOR SIGNATURE…

Your Full Name

*TIP: If you’re sending your resumé via fax or in person, leave three lines for your signature before your name. If you’re sending it electronically, you don’t need to leave space before your name.

BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE

Enclosure

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We hope this cover letter template helps. Best of luck in your job search, and remember, looking for a job IS a job! Consciously dedicate time daily to job searching, even if it’s half an hour per day. The bigger you cast your net, the sooner you’ll reel in the fish 😉

Are you an ESG grad?

Assistance in writing and editing your resume and cover letter is a complimentary service to all ESG graduates. Thanks for choosing ESG!

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Visit our job bank.

EXECUTIVE SPA GROUP
Beauty Industry Resource Centre
(780) 604 2772
executivespagroup.com