In an economy where you’re competing with a dozen of other applicants, you might feel desperate to make a resume stand out in the paper pile. Most managers are looking for a reason to not hire you, so they don’t have to sit there sifting through the mass pile of resumes.
Don't have that Esthetician resume that hits the trash!
So if you’re submitting a resume, it’s more important than ever to make a good first impression and avoid these common mistakes. Pay attention to these resume do’s and don’ts to clean up your act whilst searching for that perfect Salon position.
No Visual Distractions
Don’t submit your resume with visual distractions. Don’t send a head shot, rainbow-colored paper or clip art of a kitty. You might like “Hello Kitty” but Kitty needs to stay away from professional environments. Sending a photo of yourself is also a particularly bad idea as a picture says, ‘I’m going to suck all the oxygen out of the room; ‘My looks are more important than my experience or personality’ it also smells of narcissism.
It's not all about you, its what you can do for them!
No Physical Descriptions
Don’t reveal physical characteristics, like age, height, weight. Employers cannot hire you for your physical appearance.
Do focus on career and contact facts. Leave off information regarding race, color, religion, and sex.
No sassy email addresses
Now this might sound like a strange one and one that you might have never thought of before. Having a fun personality with a great sense of humor is certainly a strong asset, especially as we work in a salon or spa environment and are around people all of the time. If you are one of those fun loving creatures your email address might reflect that. You friends might know the story behind why your email address is “Legs UP Lucy” or “Sassy Susan” but a potential employer might not even take the time to read how magnificent you are and that you might actually have a professional side to your personality if your email address shouts out party animal!
So pick an email address that is professional and save your fun one for personal! Let your fun and approachable personality shine when you are in the interview coupled with your professional side of course.
Proofread
When resumes contain spelling errors and grammatical errors, these send the message that the candidate is sloppy.
Do read your resume slowly out loud and ask a good friend to proofread for you, or proofread after allowing the resume to sit overnight.
See how easy it is to miss out a word?
What’s OK to put on your resume?
Your full name, address and contact information, job objective, qualification highlights, chronological work history, and educational background or training.
What Should Not be Included
Don’t give full disclosure of your career history. More isn’t always better. Do keep your resume to one or two pages explaining why there are employment gaps.
Explain what you’ve been doing with your time, whether volunteering, going back to school or taking some education classes. In the current economy, you won’t be alone in your periods of unemployment. However, it is important to show you’ve been doing something worthwhile and employers love to hear that you have been taking some waxing classes or hair cutting classes. It shows initiative and an eagerness to learn new things which your license permits you to practice.
Save the Jokes for later
Like I mentioned earlier you might be a fun loving creature with a great sense of humor, but keep your humor out of your resume. Your objective should be to make a strong first impression, showing professionalism.
Do use keywords from the job description in your resume, and stay on-topic as far as your relevant skills and experience are concerned.
Match your skills to the job posting, and mention your career highlights early in the resume. You want to stand out for the right reason and that won’t be because you were the champion hot dog eater in high school!
Strong Cover Letter
Distinguish yourself by writing a strong cover letter, avoiding photo attachments and cutesy graphics.
Share in a cover letter how you’re involved in your community, or why you love to attend Trade Shows related to your industry. It’s also a chance for you to emphasize why you’re right for the job and why you think they would benefit from having you.
If you need help with writing a great resume, don’t hesitate to contact our resume team, we would love to help you, so that you get the job of your dreams!
