First Job out of Beauty School: Instructor

Erica graduated from beauty school in 2003, and later decided to go back to school for her cosmetology instructor license. "I have had a passion for hair since childhood," she says. "I felt like I was naturally good at it, and I liked being creative. I started teaching because I really enjoy the basics. Everything has a foundation."

With more than two years of work experience, she was able to get her license with less hours of continuing education. "My state requires 750 hours without job experience," she said. "If you work for at least two years after you get your cosmetology license, you were only required to take 250 hours. I went with the shorter option."

Did your beauty school offer any job placement services?

Yes, the school I attended for my basic beauty school training was part of a chain of salons, so when you graduated from the school, you could be placed into one of the salons. For the additional hours needed to become an instructor, I didn't actually need job placement services, although they were available.

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

I was immediately offered a job as a beauty school instructor at The Paul Mitchell Academy after completing the 250 hours I needed. That was not the school I attended, though, and now it's hard to get a job with a Paul Mitchell school without being a Paul Mitchell Academy graduate. The school prefers to hire its own graduates.

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

Don't be afraid to make a mistake. Every day there's a discovery to be made, and there are no mistakes, only discoveries.

Erica says that people interested in becoming a beauty school instructor should know that the career path opens a world of opportunities. "You can own your own salon, you can be a beauty school instructor, you can travel with teams of salons or companies," she says. "There's no stopping point to what you can do."