After Beauty School: A Nail Designer has Success

Regina, a cosmetologist specializing in nail design, went to beauty school twenty-two years ago. She was a single mother who was looking for a career and a way to provide a good life for her family. With a sister, aunt, and cousin in the industry, Regina knew the opportunities a cosmetology license can provide, and she's passionate about what she does. "I love going to work," she says.

Did your beauty school offer any job placement services?

My school didn't offer any job placement services at the time, but I believe it does now. When I went to school, we learned about how to run a business, but job placement and resumes weren't the norm in the industry. Today, you see resumes all the time, and the schools help with that and also host four-day job fairs for students.

How long did it take you to get your first job out of beauty school?

I moved to a new city right after school without knowing anyone, and it was still very easy to find a job. I worked at that first job for two years, then at another salon for six months, then decided to open my own place after that.

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

Don't specialize in one thing in school (i.e. only nail classes or only hair styling). Do the complete beauty school program. After that, if you want to do only one thing, you can. I'm licensed to do hair, skin, and nail design, and it's important to be able to perform any of those services to make yourself marketable, even if you lean toward one. Have your feet in all three areas and really use your license. Right now, it would take two people to replace me because I can perform more services than just nail design. Make yourself available.

Regina also stresses the importance of continuing education beyond beauty school. "Keep growing. Keep attending classes," she says.