Qualified in Beauty but still unemployed!

[get.on.your.dancing.shoes@hotmail.co.uk]

I have been qualified in beauty since June 2007 & still havent managed to get a job yet

Its frustrating as it was a really hard course & it seems like i've worked my **** off for nothing.

I've sent CV's off to a lot of salons & only a few have got back to me saying they will keep my CV on file.

I prefer the holistic side to beauty though so i've recently been looking for jobs in massage etc. but there is no salons around that are really into massage.

I dont know what to do any more, the job centre suggested looking into running my own buisness but i dont feel ready for that at the moment, i cant go mobile as I dont have a car, I'm not sure about going abroad or on the cruise ships. I'm just confused.

This whole not getting a job in beauty straight away has left me feeling disheartened towards beauty as i loved it at college.

Is anyone else finding it hard to get into beauty or confused on what to do?

Jessica. :p

[ash_22_scotland]

Hey,

Yeah i know exactly what your going thru, i've been going thru the same thing for yrs! I completed my level 3 Beauty Therapy 2 yrs ago, and after finishing it i thought i'd do the HND level, but they wouldn't let me coz i have epilepsy and HND involves Electrolisis, n they said it might triggar off a sezuire, so i wasn't allowed to do it. Yeah thanks for telling me this now yi know, after 2 yrs into the course, great. But i loved the course and enjoyed it. So i thought i'd go into Holistic's, since i liked massaging n that. and i got my level 3 in that too. Then after that i thought right its time to get a job, and i started handing out n sending out my CV's to salon's to absolutly every salon in my town! And only a few got back to me. And eventually my mum says to me, don't u just wanna work anywhere now? like Tesco? I just feel like its a pure waste of 3 years at college now, if thats where i'm gonna end up working. I'm determind not to work in some grocery shop or news agents. I have always wanted to own my own salon but i wouldn't know where to start or where to get the money from etc. And i can't go mobile, coz i don't have a car and i can't drive.

Its a nightmare!

[chelzee-xx@hotmail.co.uk]

I know exactly how you feel i am cibtac trained and have over 4 yrs Beauty
retail experience and i have been looking for over a year now.
I am currently working in a skin clinic as a receptionist but do not feel
satisfied i really want to go into beauty but have almost given up
because i feel so frustrated.


I f anyone has any ideas let me know :-(

[S.Innes_Glasgow]

Omg I am totally the same, I have been qualified since June 2007. I left school in 4th year and went straight to college because I knew I wanted to do beauty, so done NQ then the HND and completed everything sucessully, but now havn't found a job. They only come up every so often on S1 jobs and when they do they look for AT LEAST 1years experience...how do you get experience when you CAN'T GET A JOB to begin with!! So frustrating! I never thought it would be so hard to get a job with being at HND level. At the moment I am in M&S which I have worked in since being at college as a part time job, but went full time due to lack of beauty jobs and staying put until something comes up :(:( IF it comes up!

Stephanie

[get.on.your.dancing.shoes@hotmail.co.uk]

Its a pain in the bum isnt it . . . its really driving me mad

But hopefully we will be given a job soon!

Fingers crossed ey! Hehe

Jessica.

[tinx_hearts_peteyp@hotmail.com]

yeh im qualified level 2 and finishin level 3, i want to apply for spa jobs cuz im doing a spa management degree next yr and you need a job in a spa whilst studying at uni, but u have to find ur own placement. Its a nitemare, ud think employers would want u to work for them because i am getting a degree in management, but they all say the same thing 'we will keep ur cv on file', i feel like im getting knowhere, u think theyd want as many therapists as possible as beauty is such a 'in demand' industry.!!!
going mad, if i dont get a placement i cant get a degree!

[get.on.your.dancing.shoes@hotmail.co.uk]

Oh my!

As if you wont be able to do your degree if you dont get a placement!
Thats harsh!

I dont think they understand how hard it actually is to get into a salon/spa.

Most of the people I qualified with havent went into beauty simply because they cant find anyone to take them on. So it must be the same all over

Its just a waste!

GRR!

[Becky XxX]

Hi Jessica,

Oh my gosh, tell me about it!!! I'm finding it just as difficult, and it sounds like all the other girls have had the same problem! Aaaarrr!

Believe me, you haven't done your course for nothing, you are obviously passionate about Beauty Therapy, (especially massage), and you have gained a really fantastic qualification and you should be really proud of yourself! You shouldn't give up.

I have sent off loads of CV's and letters to salons around my area, and have hardly heard anything from them. Have you been into the salons in person? If the Salon Manager can see you and how well presented you are then it really makes a difference instead of just seeing your CV and letter through the post.

Are there any Health Spas around your area? Those sort of places are really popular and many clients go there mainly for body massage so you would be perfect there.

You would need to get insurance and everything, but you could perhaps go round retirement homes and offer small treatments such as manicures/pedicures, perhaps for half price or something to start off with? But you would have to be very careful and make sure you go through your consultation thouroughly and check if they have medical problems and get proper insurance.

I know it sounds really daunting and scary, but you should look into running your own business if nothing comes up at salons or health spas. There are some fantastic people you can talk to who will give you advice on starting up and explain what you need etc. Is there another Beauty Therapist who you know who would maybe like to start up aswell? You have your level 2 and 3 so you are all ready to go arnt you? You are offering alot to potential clients so it could be an option. Going mobile is something I'm seriously considering. I have looked into it and it seems quite promosing. Have you passed your driving test? I know you said you didn't have a car, but if you can afford a small car, (not a new one) then going mobile would be really good. It's suprising what you can find out there for not so much money! I'm not sure if that's an option for you, tho?

I hope that's some help to you, good luck!

Becky

[Amour __ *]

Hello Becky.

Thanks for that.

I wont give up! Even the job centre have made me look into other jobs. GRR!

I've done absolutely loads to get into Beauty. I'm even half way through writing an application form out for the Princes Trust to see if i can hopefully get a low interest loan to either open my own salon or go mobile, so maybe you should look into that too.

I've thought about going away to a spa/abroad but I think I'd miss my home too much hehe.

Anyway good luck with your job hunting!

Jessica.

This is my new account by the way.

[Becky XxX]

Hi Jess,

Yea, definatley write to the Princes Trust, you can never do enough can u? Let me know how u get on, gud luck Hun!

Becky

[GuinotGirl]

Dear Get on your dancing shoes.
I sympathise with you, I had been in the same situation as you. & eventually I got my 1st job and after that - its been go go go...Here are my top tips for getting that 1st job when newly qualified & not experienced.

1) Pay a professional to do you a CV (find them in the yellow pages)
2) Apply to large organizations, who recruit regularly. (Health farms/hotels)
3) send your CV to Beauty empolyment agencies who update you constantly
on new vacancies
4) Apply UK wide you will proberbly have to relocate. (Big spas have staff
accomodations)
5) Keep positive, and visualise your future successes
6) Focus on your strenghts at interviews
7) Bach flower remedy
(its a cherry brandy flavour, its for calming nerves, to use before driving tests/interviews etc...it really works)
8) Keep your hand in
(do day classes in other beauty subjects, eg - hopi ear candals/electrolysis) - you'll have more to offer & it keeps you focused. The longer it takes to find your 1st job the less likely you will succeed.

jobs abroad & cruiseships normally need experienced staff.
Starting up on your own is hard work/costly & theres no guarntees!! you could loose your money. consider this when you have a strong clientele and your established.

Hope this helps - this is what I did and it worked for me.

Good luck

GG

[Amour __ *]

Thank you GuinotGirl.

[donna.l.d@blueyonder.co.uk]

I've only just registered on this site and after reading the above threads I know I'm not the only one having a tough time! I qualified last june too and have ended up going back into care work(which is like taking a million steps backwards, as this is what I started in when I left school many moons ago). I thought at the grand old age of 34 I might have a good chance of getting in somewhere(college tutor said age was an advantage) but no such luck. Usual story is lack of experience. Also, I am more into massage and make-up (I am a qualified make-up artist as well) ,but most places seem to want someone mainly for nails and waxing which really is not my thing! So, what to do eh? Me and a friend are looking for somewhere to rent but that can be an expensive game without the clients! Also, its been a year since qualifying and so the confidence is lacking. By the time something comes up we'll need re-training!!!

[Amour __ *]

My tutor said that I was more than likely to get a job straight away with me doing BTEC but I'm still looking - 1 year later - Plus we will have to compete with the newly qualifieds this year too.

At the moment my confidence in beauty has gone right down hill & I only like the Holistic side to it & not many salons in my area are into that so I'm stuck in a rut.

There were a few women in my group at college your age too I think most of them have got a job doing other things rather than beauty too.

Its so frustrating. When we have these qualifications which we have worked damn hard for & no salon is willing to give us a chance.

I hope you have better luck in finding a job & yeah you probably are better off setting your own business up but its easier said than done....

Best of luck anyway.