Your First Job out of Beauty School: Hair Tech

Daniella started in beauty school not as a student, but as an employee. She worked as a receptionist for a Paul Mitchell Academy for more than a year, attending beauty school hair trainings and getting a glimpse of life in the beauty industry. "I had a soft spot for the culture," she says, so she enrolled to become a hair stylist. Daniella graduated in June 2009. She offers valuable advice from on getting your first job out of beauty school.

Did your beauty school offer any job placement services?

Yes. The school provided me with a list of Focus and Signature Salons, which are top salons that carry Paul Mitchell. The list included job openings with these salons [which give preference to Paul Mitchell Academy graduates].

How long did it take after graduating from beauty school to you get your first job as a hair stylist?

I started working at a salon about two months after graduating, but I wasn't really looking for a job right away.

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

Part of hair training included classes on resume writing and business building. The school also offered an honors program, called Phase Two, and applying for that program was like applying for a job. I had to write a resume and get a portfolio ready. The program really showed me what it would be like to work in a salon.

Being Immersed in the Hair Culture

Daniella adds that she enjoys the culture in the beauty industry. "I love doing hair," she says. "It's corny, but I'm an artistic person who wants to make everything beautiful. I'm optimistic, and I like to make other people happy, and that's the culture in hair design." Many schools offer opportunities to give back to the community, as well. Daniella's beauty school made philanthropy part of the business culture, raising money for more than thirty organizations. "You can make really good money doing what you love, and I do love it."