Choose the Right Beauty School

Finding the Beauty or Spa Career that Fits

There are countless “perfect jobs” in the spa and beauty industry. Looking for glamour? You can find it. Want flexibility? It’s yours. The key to crafting your perfect career is knowing where you belong. How do you do that? Start by asking yourself a few simple questions.

First, what are your social habits? Are you an extrovert or an introvert? Certain specialties—massage, reflexology and acupressure—lend themselves to quiet work environments, while others are inherently social. So ask yourself, will you be happy spending your days socializing with clients and coworkers? Or would you prefer a quieter work life?

Next, think about where you want to be. Visualize yourself in your perfect work environment. Is it a chic salon? A peaceful spa? Are you at home? Thinking about the “where” of your career can help you determine the “what.”

Finally, how do you like to work? Do you mix it up every day? Or are you a creature of habit? Are you a creative person? Or are you meticulous and detail-oriented?

Once you have a clear picture of your professional personality, you can start to figure out which profession is right for you. Here’s a quick guide to help point you in the right direction.

Massage, Shiatsu and Thai Bodywork

There are many different types of massage therapies, and while you certainly can and should add your personal touch to your practice, performing any type of massage involves using specific, common techniques.

The generic term massage often includes Swedish, deep tissue, sports massage and other specializations. Shiatsu is the traditional Japanese form of massage that is designed to restore balance to the body, and Thai Bodywork involves moving your client through a series of yoga positions combined with acupressure and stretching.

Keep these things in mind:

• Massage is a very physical job, so you’ll need to have a certain level of fitness.
• Clients come in all shapes and sizes, so you’ll need to be comfortable with the human body in all of its incarnations.

Reiki, Reflexology and Acupressure

Reiki is a hands-on healing art developed in Japan in the early 1900s. It can be a spiritual experience as you help clients heal by channeling their energy. In reflexology, practitioners stimulate nerves on the feet, hands and ears to encourage the flow of energy and promote healing in the rest of the body.

Acupressure is a traditional Chinese medicine that is also designed to move energy flow by applying pressure to specific points on the body.

Keep these things in mind:

• These can be quiet, contemplative practices, so if you love to gab, they may not be for you.
• There are definitely alternative healing practices—not a good fit for the skeptic.

Aromatherapy

This is the practice of combing essential oils to create scents that affect health and mood. Aromatherapy can be both creative and technical—perfect for the aspiring mad scientist in you who aspires to relax, balance and rejuvenate the body, mind and spirit.

Keep this in mind:

• Aromatherapy is often a supplementary practice as you can’t apply oils to a client without being licensed in another profession.

Hair, Make-Up and Nails

Working in any of these professions will give you the opportunity to be in a fast-paced, social environment. You’ll also have the chance to express your creativity—in fact, it’s often a job requirement.

Keep this in mind:

• You’ll not only need to make your clients beautiful; you’ll also need to make them comfortable. There are no rules that say you have to talk to your clients while you give a manicure or cut their hair, but chatting is usually part of the experience (and often better for business).

Esthetics

The practice of esthetics includes skin care, hair removal techniques, body treatments and more. If you’re someone who likes variety and feels comfortable multitasking, this could be the right choice for you.

Keep these things in mind:

• Certain practices, hair removal in particular, can be painful to clients. So, part of your job is making them as comfortable as possible.
• Everyone has a different chemical make-up, so you need to be able to recommend and cater skin care plans and treatments to individual clients.

Now that you’ve done some soul searching and discovered your inner beauty, seek out your beauty career potential. Again, the spa and beauty industry has many perks and each specialty creates a different life dynamic, so you just need to learn the best one for you and your lifestyle.

Return to the Spa & Beauty Career Center home page.

Looking for Spa, Massage or Beauty Schools?

Try our Spa, Massage & Beauty Schools page. There you will find a comprehensive list of schools which offer program descriptions. You can also request information from the schools that interest you most.