How to Write a CV for a Beauty, Hair, Spa or Aesthetics Job

Your CV is often the first opportunity you have to make an impression on an employer. Before they meet you, your CV needs to show what you can do, what experience you have and why you could be a good fit for the role.

Whether you're an experienced beauty therapist, hairdresser, spa therapist, aesthetic practitioner or you're starting out in the industry, a well-presented CV can help you stand out from the competition.

Here are some practical tips for creating a CV that gets noticed.

Keep it clear and easy to read

Your CV doesn't need to be complicated or overly designed.

Employers often have to look through a large number of applications, so make sure the important information is easy to find.

Use clear headings, short paragraphs and bullet points where appropriate. Ideally, keep your CV concise while still including the information that is relevant to the role.

For most candidates, two pages is a good target, although more experienced professionals may need additional space.

Start with a strong personal profile

Your personal profile should give an employer a quick overview of who you are and what you can offer.

Avoid generic statements such as "I am hardworking and reliable" without explaining what makes you suitable for the role.

Instead, focus on your experience, specialist skills and what you are looking for.

For example:

Experienced Beauty Therapist with five years' experience working across salon and spa environments, specialising in advanced facials, massage and client consultations. Passionate about delivering high standards of customer care and creating a positive client experience.

If you're newly qualified, focus on your training, enthusiasm and the skills you have developed.

Make your experience relevant

Your employment history should clearly show where you have worked and what you were responsible for.

Don't just list your job title. Explain what you actually did.

For a beauty therapist, this could include:

• Facials and skincare treatments
• Massage
• Waxing
• Manicures and pedicures
• Client consultations
• Treatment recommendations
• Product sales
• Maintaining treatment areas
• Booking and managing appointments

For a hair professional, you could include:

• Cutting and styling
• Colouring and highlighting
• Blow-drying
• Client consultations
• Colour consultations
• Hair treatments
• Product recommendations
• Reception or appointment management
• Working to salon targets

For spa or aesthetics roles, highlight any relevant treatments, equipment, consultation experience, customer service and specialist training.

Highlight your qualifications

Qualifications are particularly important within the beauty, hair, spa and aesthetics industries.

Create a dedicated qualifications or training section and make your relevant qualifications easy to find.

Include:

• Qualification name
• Training provider
• Date completed, where relevant
• Any specialist or advanced training

If you're currently studying, say so rather than leaving the qualification off your CV.

Additional training can also help demonstrate your commitment to developing your career.

Don't forget your specialist skills

Think carefully about what makes you different from other candidates.

Do you have experience with particular treatments, brands, techniques or equipment?

Perhaps you specialise in advanced skincare, bridal hair, colour correction, massage, nails, aesthetics or luxury spa treatments.

Make these skills easy to spot.

A simple Key Skills section near the beginning of your CV can work particularly well.

Include customer service experience

Beauty and hair professionals work directly with clients every day, so customer service is an important part of your experience.

Think about the ways you have built relationships with clients, handled consultations, dealt with complaints or recommended additional treatments and products.

If you have experience developing repeat business or maintaining a loyal client base, mention it.

These details can tell an employer much more about your ability than simply listing "good customer service" as a skill.

Show achievements where you can

If you have achieved something measurable, include it.

For example:

• Consistently exceeded treatment or retail targets
• Built a strong repeat client base
• Increased retail sales
• Received excellent client feedback
• Progressed into a senior therapist or stylist position
• Trained or supported junior team members
• Introduced a new treatment or service

Achievements help employers see the value you could bring to their business.

Tailor your CV to the vacancy

One of the most important things you can do is adapt your CV for the job you're applying for.

Read the job description carefully and identify the skills and experience the employer is looking for.

If you're applying for a spa therapist position that focuses heavily on massage and luxury client experiences, make sure those areas are prominent.

If you're applying for a hair stylist role specialising in colour, highlight your colour experience and relevant training.

You don't need to rewrite your entire CV every time, but make sure the most relevant information is easy to find.

What about your first beauty or hair job?

Your training, practical experience, college work, placements and transferable skills can all be valuable.

Include relevant work experience, even if it wasn't in a salon or spa. Customer service, retail and hospitality experience can demonstrate communication, teamwork and confidence working with the public.

Most importantly, make your enthusiasm for the industry clear.

Check your CV before sending it.

Look for spelling and grammar mistakes, inconsistent formatting and outdated contact details.

Make sure your most recent experience is at the top and that your qualifications and key skills are clearly presented.

Save your final CV as a PDF unless the employer specifically asks for another format. Give the file a professional name, such as:

Sarah-Smith-CV.pdf

rather than simply calling it "CV".

Keep your CV up to date

Don't wait until you're looking for a new job before updating your CV.

Whenever you complete a new qualification, learn a new treatment, gain additional experience or achieve something at work, add it.

That way, when the right opportunity comes along, your CV is ready to go.

Ready for your next opportunity?

A good CV doesn't need to tell your entire career story. It needs to give an employer a clear picture of your skills, experience, qualifications and what you could bring to their team.

At Jobs in Beauty, we help connect candidates with employers across the beauty, hair, spa and aesthetics sectors.

Create your free candidate profile, upload your CV and keep your details up to date so you're ready when your next opportunity comes along.

Your CV could be the first step towards your next career move.