10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Went to Beauty School

Pursuing a cosmetology education can be a great first step on the path to a fulfilling and exciting career in the beauty industry. However, attending beauty school involves a lot more than just learning to cut hair, do makeup, and paint nails. Beauty is an art that requires dedication, patience, and attention to detail. Careers in beauty are also highly social and require most stylists to work with a variety of clients throughout their workweek.

To prepare for your future in beauty school and beyond, we asked Hair Professionals Career College students what they wish they’d known before starting school. Here’s what they had to say!

1. That I’d be a “thera-stylist”

Once you get on the floor and start taking clients in the salon, you’ll learn an awful lot about people that you don’t necessarily want or need to know. They’re in your chair for at least an hour with nothing else to do but talk. Plus, people feel comfortable with their stylists. they’re trusting you with their image so it’s natural for that level of openness to be a part of the “stylist-client” relationship. Sometimes it can be heavy and intense while other times you’ll likely be laughing and smiling right along with them. This is how loyal customers are born, so embrace it.

2. It’s not as easy as it looks on Instagram

Beauty school is hard work. Instructors, graduates and long-time stylists agree that one of the greatest challenges to overcome is the intensity of the program. These programs are designed to prepare students for the industry in approximately one year. Students learn the basics of the industry in a class, then get trained and tested hands-on. By the end of beauty school, you can become truly prepared and qualified to take on clients. You know what they say, nothing worth having comes easy. You’ll appreciate your education more, and have more pride in something that you worked hard for.

3. How difficult makeup REALLY is

Makeup seems like it would be a pretty simple thing to do, but when asked most beauty professionals, instructors, and students agreed that makeup is one of the hardest units in school. It tests your patience and can be the source of some stress if hair color and style is more your forte. However, exploring your creativity and seeing your progress can be extremely rewarding. Though beauty school has definitely got its challenges, it also provides you a great deal of opportunity to grow!

Fortunately at Hair Professionals Career College we work hard to make sure that our students have the resources and the time that they need to excel through every unit in their program.
Check out our esthetics program, here.

4. How much dedication and commitment this takes

Attending school is very much like having a full-time job; you spend most of your time in class or on the salon floor with customers. When you’re not doing that, you’re in a class learning about theory and technique or working on building your clientele. There is a lot of information to familiarize yourself with, and attention to detail is key. Beauty school is incredibly rewarding, but it isn’t for the faint of heart.

5. How much I would bond with my instructors

Spending nearly every day with the same people, you’re bound to develop some good relationships. Instructors understand what you’re going through, because they were students once too. They’ve also battled through the struggles of finding clients and work after graduation. Instructors truly are the greatest resource for students: they have navigated the same professional terrain and they have industry connections that prove to be helpful for many students.

At Hair Professionals Career College, our instructors still actively work in the field and are constantly working to further their own education for the benefit of their students. We believe in the power of unity and collaboration, we are more powerful when we work together to achieve success!

6. About the out-of-pocket expenses

The out-of-pocket expense is different for every student due to financial aid eligibility and program choice. There are often scholarships available through third party sources that can help to alleviate the financial burden, or students can look into educational financing to cover costs.

Speak with an admissions representative from Hair Professionals career college to get an idea of what start date will be the best for you, and what resources are available to make your transition into a beauty career as smooth as possible.

7. That I would make such great friends

Just like you bond with your instructors, you will also bond with your classmates and probably some of your clients too! Your job is to make people feel as beautiful as they look, and that happens when a stylist is able to truly connect with their client. Cosmetologist apply makeup and perform beauty services, but a truly great stylist has the power to make their clients feel important and cared for beyond the scope of their services.

At Hair Pros, students learn about the art of client retention and networking through both the taught curriculum and the supplemental learning and lecture opportunities provided by the school. We pride ourselves on creating a legacy of driven professionals.

8. The cost of testing and professional equipment

Though the cost of the kit used by students is factored into their cost of attendance, it will be well worth your investment. How cool is it to start your education on day one in the classroom with professional tools to learn with? Very cool.

Hair Pros uses the highest quality products in our student kits and work to help students make the transition from student to professional as simple as possible.

9. If you’re truly passionate about this work, you’ll never want to do anything else.

Even with the long hours, and the sometimes hectic scheduling it’s clear to see that passion is often the driving force for many beauty professionals. The sense of satisfaction that stylists get from seeing the joy that they have helped create is one of the most cited reasons for choosing this career.

“If you do what you’ll love you’ll never work a day in your life”- we’ve all heard the old adage. Becoming a beauty professional is hard work, but when you’re passionate about what you do it’s the kind of work that you will choose to do over and over again.

10. That it would be the best decision I ever made

While current stylists, instructors, and students alike had similar sentiments about the more challenging aspects of pursuing a cosmetology career, they agreed that the career they chose to pursue was undoubtedly the right one for them.

Whether you’re seeking a career with flexible scheduling options or high earning potential, the beauty industry attracts motivated and passionate people.

Start Your Journey Today

Hair Professionals Career College is dedicated to developing highly-skilled and prepared professionals. We want to be a part of your journey in the beauty industry. To learn more about how we can help you achieve your goals, set up a tour of one of our Illinois beauty schools today! We have locations in Sycamore, Palos Hills, and Oswego. The beauty industry is a great place to start your future career– we can’t wait to help you get started