There are many career choices and places of employment for those in the cosmetology field. One of the most popular places to look for work is in a hotel salon. Working as a hairdresser, hairstylist, or cosmetologist in a hotel rather than a regular salon provides a slightly higher average wage. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage for a cosmetologist is $27,940, while those working in the traveler accommodation industry had a slightly higher annual wage at $29,460. However, those working in the travel accommodation only included a small percentage of workers.
Although some hotel salons may have been included in the personal care services category rather than travel accommodation for the purpose of the census, the BLS information demonstrates why many see this job as a lucrative opportunity. If you one of the many looking to join the team at a hotel salon, then the following tips can help you achieve your goal.
Education and Training
The first thing you need to do is ensure you have the right education and training. At the minimum, you will need to undergo the required hours of training for a cosmetology license for your state, which is usually around 1500 hours. You also have to sit for an exam to get your cosmetology license. If you are looking to work as an esthetician or nail technician, you may be able to get a specialty license in those fields with fewer required hours of training.
Some hotel spas also require specialty training from a certain institution, especially if they are a branded salon, such as Vidal Sassoon, Aveda, or Paul Mitchell. Therefore, it is beneficial to look at the requirements of the particular salon if you already have one in mind as early as possible to ensure you get the right education and training.
Experience
Many hotel salons typically charge more for their services, and their clients expect only the best, so the hotel spas often look for experienced people to join their team. Salons that do hire fresh out of school cosmetologists may have a training program within their salon where you start at a position that makes less money and may have fewer responsibilities. Over time, you can advance to the more premium positions. Reviewing job postings or calling and asking the salons can give you an idea of what type of experience you would need to have before applying for a job.
Building a Resume
When applying for a job, especially one as competitive as in a hotel salon, it is essential to have a dynamite resume. It is important to tailor your resume to the job you want. You do not have to list every job you have ever had, especially those that do not pertain to the position for which you are applying. However, certain jobs that may not directly apply to the job could help your chances, especially if they demonstrate certain highly valuable skills, such as customer service, so they should be included. It is also important that you list your certifications and license on the resume. Any continuing education you have taken should be included, especially training to become a specialist in an area, such as a hair color specialist. You may also want to create a portfolio to submit along with your resume highlighting your skills.
Finding and Applying for Jobs
Most large chain hotels list all their jobs, including for their salon, online. Therefore, your first step in the job search is to check the websites of the hotels in your area. You can also search through larger job search platforms, such as Indeed or Monster. Some places may also list their job on Craigslist and other sites. Although most places now rely on the Internet for job recruitment, it can still be beneficial to go into the salons for which you hope to work and ask if they are hiring. This gives you some face time with the people before your resume is entered into the system. It also provides an opportunity to ask a few basic questions, such as whether they require a certain amount or type of experience in their employees.
Finding work in a hotel spa may be competitive, but by knowing what is needed and developing a stand-out resume, you can increase your chances of finding the job. You may have to initially get work at another type of salon until your dream job opens up, but this experience will only help your chances of finally getting the work in the hotel spa.
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