From Finance to Facials--An Esthetician Finds Her Niche

Helen is an esthetician at a Yoga Yoga Spa, a yoga studio and wellness spa. She graduated from beauty school in 2005. "I wanted a change," says Helen, who was working as an accountant before enrolling in esthetics training. "I did a lot of research, and esthetics was a growing industry, driven by the baby boomer market. Plus, I'm passionate about skin care." Helen offers some insight into the esthetician trade.

Did your beauty school offer any job placement services?

Yes, there were job placement services, but I decided to intern for a dermatologist and work on straight commission so that I could learn about medical esthetics.

How long after beauty school did you get your first job?

I got a job right away, but I was interning. I purposefully decided to do that so that I could work in a medical office and further my education and esthetics training.

What was the best piece of advice you learned in beauty school that helped with the school-to-work transition?

You really have to love what you do. You need a lot of patience and practice, and you need to know about all aspects of beauty and health, which is why I love working at a spa and yoga studio. Once you have your basic training and your license, you can grab from all aspects of health, such as ayurveda and other forms of holistic medicine, and incorporate them into what you've learned in beauty school.

Also, you have to stay on top of what's new in the industry to get the best products and the best technology available to your clients. For example, in our spa we use natural and organic products. We also assess skin based on its condition and on external factors like dry or hot weather.

Helen says that with a beauty school education and a cosmetology license, there are any number of places you could work and jobs you're qualified to do. "The world is your oyster," she says.