Even though hairdressers are in high demand, applying for hairdressing roles can be very competitive. This means one of the most important things you’ll need when applying for a job as a hairdresser is a well written and professional resume.
Besides you portfolio, the right resume coupled with a killer cover letter can really will give you the best chance of successfully landing a job at your chosen salon.
Introduce yourself: The first thing you need to do is provide basic contact information. You should have your name, address, contact number and email address clearly placed at the top of the resume. This makes it easy for your prospective employee to get in touch with you.
List your education: Start with your most recent course first and work backwards. If you are in the process or have completed your Certificate II, then list it first along with the name of the institution and the start and finish date. Repeat this back until secondary school. There is no need to go further back than this.
Employment: Similar to detailing your education, start with your most recent role and work your way back including your length of employment and duties along the way for each role. But remember to be creative and don’t sell yourself short when listing your experience.
If you have not yet gained paid employment ensure you list any other informal or volunteer work you may have participated in over the years. Volunteer work shows that you are proactive and part of the community. This could be anything from babysitting to helping out at school to walking your family dogs, this shows that you can take responsibility and be relied upon.
Your achievements: Ensure you include any kind of awards or successes that you have accomplished over the years. Be it academic or in the arts, it will show that you have focus and commitment and been rewarded as a result.
Additional skills: Do you have any other skills to offer such as speaking another language or are you a wiz using Microsoft publisher, you will be surprised what assets you already have.
Interests and activities: Add a few key items that are of interest you, this will give your employer an insight to the kind of person you are. Are you in a band or interested in music, do you enjoy reading or perhaps you are in a church group, these interests will show that you are a mature and well-rounded person and hopefully just the candidate they are looking for.
Provide two referees: A referee is someone who knows you in a formal or more professional manner, this person may have to speak to your potential employer who will want to know if you are a trustworthy and reliable person. You could ask a family friend, a teacher who you get along with or a previous employer to be your referee.
Layout is Key: After collating all your specifics you can then put your energy into your cover letter and resumes presentation. In all honesty if it looks poor it’s highly likely that your potential employer won’t even read it. So keep the layout simple. These days most jobs are applied for online but on the off chance that you are applying with a hardcopy then ensure your papers are presented on clean white or off white paper and placed in a simple plain folder. Never use coloured paper to print a letter of application or resume.
Proof read: Last but definitely not least is proof read! Proof read that screen once twice even three times. Also ask a friend or your parents to go over it for you. A resume littered with spelling and grammatical errors will have been a complete waste of your time. Finally be clear and concise, ensure your resume is no longer than a page.
When providing your email address, try and register something simple and appropriate such as [email protected], or [email protected], it will look far more appropriate on an application than the quirky one you use for your social media etc.
