10 Tips To Break Into The Beauty Industry
Deciding what to do for the rest of your life can be scary AF. But if you’re
searching for a career where you can flex your creativity, meet new people, and never get bored, then look no further than the beauty world! Read on to discover our top tips for breaking into the beauty sphere… ‘cos when it comes to your future, you don’t need to wing it (except your eyeliner)!
1. Is a career in beauty for me?
This one’s a no-brainer. Before diving head-first into the industry, take some time to ask yourself some pretty important questions:
How sociable are you?
How sociable are you? Whether you’re interested in marketing and PR, or formulation and engineering, being approachable and outgoing will help boost your
career in beauty.
Are you looking for something varied?
The world of beauty is ever-changing—you’re almost guaranteed to never get bored!
How creative are you?
At the end of the day, it’s beauty. And beauty = creativity!
2. It’s not always nails, hair and make-up
(But it can be, if you want!) Did you know that the beauty industry is made up of hundreeeeds of diff roles—not just cosmetology? Think finance, marketing, PR, engineering, chemistry. And there are a whole host of other weird and wonderful roles in the beauty world, too!
Imposter syndrome? Kick
job search anxiety to the curb:
Tell yourself you’re amazing. No, seriously, say it out loud—it really works!
Remember how you got here. You made it onto your course, you got an interview… you’re already a superstar so believe in it!
Keep learning, always. The more you grow, the more the confidence will flow!
4. Kickstart your career with courses
Not sure your degree is
that relevant? Think again. Some of the
best paying jobs in beauty are all about science, maths and technology.
And, you can always boost your beauty career with courses. Employers look for knowledge you’ve gained outside of the classroom more than you think—it shows you’re proactive and passionate about learning new things. Discover the best way to brand yourself with
1 month free of Skillshare. Or save on courses like ‘Making Potions and Lotions’ or ‘Creating a Beauty Brand’ with a
UNiDAYS Udemy discount.
5. Gain experience, and tips to get a job without it!
Ok, we get it. You need experience to get experience, but you can’t get experience without experience—it’s beyond frustrating. But, any experience will do. And it doesn’t just have to be in the office.
At
UNiDAYS, we have tons of
student discounts on learning resources—like
10% Off FutureLearn and
10% Off MasterClass. And who says getting experience can’t be fun? Move aside work placements, and say hello to
beauty podcasts,
YouTubers and industry documentaries.
Got no
real-world work experience? Meh, it’s not
that deep. Gen Z students represent a huuuuge demographic that brands are keen to engage with. So your fresh perspective is super important. You're digitally savvy and can bring lots of life experience that will be really useful to employers, even if you don't have any proper experience.
Ok, ok, we’re not expecting you to go full
nepo baby. Instead, simply boost your online presence, beautify your LinkedIn profile, and attend virtual events in the beauty industry.
Who you know, rather than
what you know, can lead to some exciting opportunities.
In fact, the
British Beauty Council’s Beauty Week has a whole host of
free virtual events so you can discover why you belong in beauty.
The beauty industry is
constantly changing. New brands are popping up at the click of a finger, and product ranges are becoming more vast and even more varied. So don’t ever think you know
everything.
Put time in to keep up-to-date with the industry, embrace new technologies and brands, and be open to new ideas. The beauty world will keep you excited that’s for sure!
8. Determine who you want to work for
This goes whether you’ve got your eye on big names like
Fenty Beauty and
Clinique, or are more into the smaller start-ups or boutique brands. Spend time researching companies, their competitors and figure out which ones align with you, your goals and your values. Or, take the leap and work towards starting your own brand—exciting stuff!
Your CV needs to instantly portray who you are as a professional as well as convey your personality. That’s why you’ll need to
spruce up your CV to reflect any relevant experience and really shout about what you can bring to the table. We get it, it’s hardly at the top of anyone’s ‘fun things to do this weekend’ list. But there are lots of tools out there to help
supercharge your CV in a short amount of time, including AI tools.
Make it clear that beauty is your passion. Whether you’re passionate about beauty itself, or simply love the idea of flexing your STEM background in a more creative role (yes, that’s right—STEM and beauty have muuuch more in common than you’d think).
And remember: say a big, fat YES to any and every opportunity you can, even if you don’t feel ready. Learning by doing is the best way to gain new knowledge quickly, and ask for help if you’re unsure. There are so many routes into the beauty industry, so never be afraid to just go for it!
Taking your first steps into the beauty industry? Discover a future without filters with THG Beauty. They’ve got a whole host of graduate positions available right this second within
Buying,
Marketing,
Merchandising and
E-commerce!
