How to write a beauty therapist CV (with an example)

Updated 29 March 2023

Asides from their primary duty of taking care of a client's skin, beauty therapists have a responsibility of ensuring the comfort and ease of their clients. They're also skilful salespeople and highly organised with a good business sense. If you have decided to pursue a career path as a beauty therapist, then having a professional CV is crucial to your getting a job as a beauty therapist. In this article, we discuss the meaning of a beauty therapist CV and how to write a good CV with samples to guide you.

What is a beauty therapist?

A beauty therapist is a professional skilled in offering body and skincare advice and treatments, who is also knowledgeable in skin physiology, skin biology and cosmetic chemistry. Beauty therapists are certified to deliver a wide range of skincare treatments. They can choose to specialise in a single area or can major in various areas in beauty therapy.

Some of the skincare routines they provide include stress-relieving massages, make-up application, nail care, hair styling, facials and hair removal. They have expert knowledge and understanding of each treatment they deliver on the face and body, including the specific benefits they provide to that part of the body.

How to write a good beauty therapist CV

Below is a guide on how to write a beauty therapist CV:

1. Start your CV with a winning personal statement

A properly drafted CV can help you make a good impression on the recruiter well before they interview you. When writing your personal profile, start by introducing yourself properly with the right choice of words. Here you state how long you have been working and in what setting. Describe your actions and how they benefited your employer in your current or previous place of work.

It's advisable to be deliberate while describing your achievements. You can use words like 'booked' or 'treated' to specify and quantify your actions. Don't forget to add figures or numbers to anything you can when describing the benefits you brought to your employer, but make sure they're realistic. Likewise, you can also describe the value you intend to offer to your potential employer. It's important for a good CV personal statement to be within 2-3 sentences and 50-150 words.

2. Include your work experience

Gaining experience as a beauty therapist is crucial, as this improves your skill and your employability. In situations when you don't have any experience, you can start by thinking of any placement, volunteering, freelance or internship job you have done in this area and structure it as your experience. If you have none, you can opt to prepare a student CV as a head start.

If you're experienced, you can choose a chronological CV format that places your work history in reverse chronological order, starting from the most recent work history. Start by choosing a chronological CV format and creating a subheading for every job description. Put in the job title, company name, location and date of employment. Add bullet points to describe your achievements for each salon you've worked for in the past. While describing your achievements, emphasise the value you offered them through your actions. Repeat this for as many salons as you intend to add to your experience.

3. Get your education section right

While writing your therapist CV, try to keep your education section very brief, clear and straight to the point. In your education section, list your institution name and its location, your degree type, degree name, degree class and years attended. If you're still in school, you can add your intended year of graduation.

4. Showcase your skills

As a beauty therapist, there are a variety of skills you can include in your CV. Start by writing your soft and hard beauty therapist skills. Where necessary, for each skill, describe practical situations on how you put that skill to action at work and the result.

5. Include a cover letter and use additional sections

Many recruiters and salon employers depend on your cover letter to gather more information about you which your CV may not have covered. It's therefore important you include a cover letter unless you're told not to do so. Just like your personal statement, start your cover letter with a strong opening. In the body, add your achievements and close them with a sound call to action. Ensure you address the cover letter properly. Also, include all other relevant information in the additional sections. To avoid errors, proofread it at least twice or give it to a knowledgeable friend to proofread.

Duties of a beauty therapist

Beauty therapists are customer-orientated. They assess the needs of their customers and determine the best treatment suitable for their present needs. Below are the duties of a beauty therapist:

Analyse customer rights

Most clients who visit a beauty therapist seek their guidance and suggestions. Customers may be unaware of the best-suited cosmetic procedure for their skin or hair. It's the duty of a beauty therapist to assess their needs by asking questions and assessing their skins to make the right treatment recommendation for them.

Evaluate clients' skin

Beauty therapists often recommend treatments to their clients after a proper evaluation of their skin. They do this to determine the relevant therapies or products that can help to rejuvenate the client's skin appearance. Beauticians can do this through a proper examination of their skin, discussing their problems and working with them to create treatment goals to restore their skin appearance and texture.

Keep tools sterilised

It's normal for unsterilised tools to harbour microorganisms. Beauty therapists keep beauty tools, equipment and the room clean. They also sterilise these tools before and after use to avoid the spread of infectious diseases.

Cleaning and treatments

Beauty technicians are trained to identify skin ailments in their clients. Using specialised tools and procedures, they relieve their clients of these skin anomalies by applying quality skincare treatment kits like toners, lotions, cleansers, exfoliants and masks. They also apply beauty treatments like facials, shells and anti-acne to rejuvenate the skin.

Hair removal, manicure and pedicure

It's also the responsibility of beauty therapists to care for their clients' hair, hands and feet. Subject to their client's preferences, they clean and add extensions and colours to their nails. They also remove unwanted hair from the face or body by either waxing, use of laser, sugaring, epilators, shaving or trimming, threading, intense pulsed light or electrology. For safety, they cover their hands, legs and eyes when engaging in this process.

Massage therapy

Beauticians use massage therapy to relieve and make clients happy. They do this by massaging clients' faces, back, feet and wrists. There are different types of massage, but the most common form is the Swedish massage for muscle tissue, stress relief or relaxation. As a result of their professional training, beauty therapists have a thorough understanding of connective tissues and muscle systems that ensure a proper massage.

Example CV for beauty therapist

Below is a sample CV to guide you in writing your own:

Kate Smith
5 Down Street, London
NW5 3AJ
katesmith@gmail.com
07788 554422

Bubbly and passionate beauty therapist with over four years of experience in skincare treatments and therapies. Possesses tested and proven customer care knowledge and is strongly dedicated to offering client-centred care services. An expert in treating clients' skin and hair with the latest and most efficient treatments. Certified masseuse and nail technician, hence efficient in offering massages, nail art, skincare and laser treatments.

Work Experience

Beauty therapist at Zodiac beauty, Chris well, London
(March 2017 - present)

Did make-up and bridal hair for clients, received 11 testimonials and appreciation notes
Massaged over 1200 clients using the Sweden massage, hot stone massage and aromatic massage therapy
Performed 300 pedicure, manicure and nail treatments
Answered over 15 calls a day with 90% booking accuracy
Performed 52 specific treatments like light therapy for clients with skin conditions, such as acne and eczema.

Beauty therapist at Beth's beauty salon, Quaker, London
(Jan. 2016 - 2017 Feb.)

Answered 8+ calls a day with 70% bookings
Massaged over 500 clients using Sweden massage therapy
Sold 35% of sales, bringing the salon over £650 a month in extra return

Education

The London School of Beauty & Make-Up (LSBM)
Level 3 Diploma: Beauty Therapy/Reflexology
(August 2011 - August 2015)

London Business Training and Consulting (LBTC)
NQV Level 1: Customer Relationship Management
(Sept 2017- Sept 2018)

Skills

customer care services
sales
communication
appointment scheduling
team player
massage expertise
client evaluation and analysis

Certification

Customer Relationship Management - London Business Training and Consulting (LBTC)
Certified beauty therapist- The London School of Beauty & Make-Up (LSBM)

Language(s)

English - Native speaker
French

Please note that none of the companies mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.