Cosmetology is a 60 billion dollar industry that is stable, provides endless opportunities, and cannot be outsourced to another country. A cosmetologist can work anywhere in the country, full-time or part-time, work for a large corporation with several locations, in a local salon or for themselves as an independent contractor. Last year, there were an estimated 600,000 salon positions filled in the United States. However, for those of you who may want to explore other exciting career choices, here are ten Cosmetology Career options you may want to consider:
1. If you love to travel, why not consider becoming a stylist on a cruise ship or at a luxury resort. Imagine following the sun by working seasonally at a resort hotel salon in Mexico during the winter, then finding a cooler seasonal locale for the hot and humid summer months.
2. A beauty school education could lead you to the exciting worlds of fashion and entertainment. Become a celebrity stylist by working with local, national or international models and celebrities. If you have the talent, creativity and stay current with beauty and fashion trends, working behind the scenes in the entertainment industry could become a reality!
3. As a licensed Cosmetologist, you could also choose the management track in the corporate world. Corporate giants in the beauty industry offer lucrative sales positions that could lead you to a high paying Regional or National Sales and Marketing position.
4. Perhaps the corporate world is not for you, but you are still drawn to the business side of the beauty industry. You could become the manager of a large salon where you'd be responsible for personnel management, training, inventory control, payroll, sales and marketing.
5. Want to be your own boss? You have a couple options. If you're not averse to taking some financial risk, you can open your own salon. Another alternative, is to lease booth space or a chair from a salon owner. You will be working with your clientele on your own schedule. You can work as few or as many hours as you like - a great option for moms.
6. Teaching is a rewarding and satisfying career pursuit. Many experienced Cosmetologists take advanced courses to become a cosmetology instructor at a private beauty school, vocational school or community college. As an Instructor, you can share your knowledge and skills with those just getting started in the beauty industry and experience the gratification when your students succeed.
7. You've always been a very good writer. You can leverage your Cosmetology education and experience with your writing skills to "pen" articles in your free time. With hands-on experience, you will have a lot of interesting tips, advice and anecdotes to share with readers interested in learning more about the beauty industry. This could lead to a full-time career as a writer or editor of a beauty industry magazine, newsletter or website.
8. The huge, aging population (there are 78 million baby boomers - those born between 1946 and 1964) has resulted in the rapid growth of nursing and other residential care and assisted living facilities. Many of these facilities have onsite salons. If you like working with the elderly to enhance their appearance, which, in turn, greatly enhances their quality of life, this type of work can be very gratifying.
9. You have a flair for selling and would like to be rewarded for your performance with bonuses and commissions. There are many opportunities to work for a beauty products' manufacturer or distributor selling products to salons, department stores and specialty shops.
10. Working in the non-profit sector interests you, but you don't know how you could utilize your Cosmetology training in this sector. After spending several years in the beauty industry, you could work for your State government as an examiner for the State licensing board.
There are many more career options for cosmetology graduates that haven't been listed here. The myriad of opportunities is only limited by your imagination, motivation and perseverance.
Dotty Zukoff is a freelance writer who specializes in writing articles on career education opportunities. She contributes regularly to e-zines and works with strategic marketing companies that specialize in lead generation marketing for career schools, including Effective Student Marketing.
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