Knowing what you can do with an esthetician license is beneficial if you’re considering a career in skincare and beauty. In fact, a qualified esthetician could take on a variety of roles in the industry. Which makes it a compelling and rewarding career choice for many.
With your esthetician license in hand, several career options are available to you. You could own, manage, or work at a spa or salon doing various treatments. Or maybe you’d prefer working in retail as a buyer, salesperson, or brand representative. Perhaps beauty educator or esthetician licensing examiner is more your speed. You could even enter the medical field if you choose.
In this blog post, we’ll break down all the fantastic career paths you could choose as a fully licensed esthetician. But before we discuss what you can do with an esthetician license, let’s briefly examine how to get one.
How to Get an Esthetician License
If you’re keen on pursuing a career in skincare and beauty, you’ll likely want to obtain an esthetician license. The esthetician course usually takes 6-months to complete, at which point you’ll receive a certificate. However, to obtain your official license to practice, you’ll need to sit for an additional exam.
This exam is given by the National-Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology (NIC). Once you’ve passed this exam, you’re fully licensed a ready to practice as a qualified esthetician.
Different Jobs You Can Do With an Esthetician License
When you have that coveted esthetician license in hand, the world is your oyster. The following are some of the finest career options for a licensed esthetician to pursue.
Spa or Salon Esthetician
A clear option is to find work at a spa or salon. This will give you the opportunity to execute a variety of procedures for clients. You’ll get to execute a large portion of the treatments and techniques you were taught at college. And it can, therefore, be an enjoyable and rewarding option.
The most common treatments carried out at spas and salons are facials, nail care, eyelash extensions, eyebrow tinting, and waxing. You’ll also be exposed to skin exfoliation, laser hair removal, body treatments, to name a few.
Specializing in a particular type of treatment is also a good idea. This way, you hone your skills in that specific treatment or technique. Treatments and procedures in high demand include eyelash extensions, eyebrow tinting, and specialized hair removal.
Owning or managing a spa or salon is a great career move for a licensed esthetician. You would utilize your specialist knowledge to start or run a business that could be highly profitable.
Makeup Artist
If you’re a creative person, you might be better suited to a career as a makeup artist. In fact, there are several career paths you could choose as a makeup artist.
Makeup artists can work for someone or for themselves as freelancers. Typical roles include demonstrating various products for a cosmetics company or department store. Or you could take on the role of a makeup artist at a prominent salon or spa.
Alternatively, you could become a personal makeup artist to a high-profile individual. And another option would be to work in media, such as photo shoots, film, and television. The opportunities are literally endless.
Beauty Writer, Blogger, or Vlogger
Social media offers a terrific way to show off your talents. And with many high-profile beauty bloggers and vloggers out there, it’s clear that there’s a massive audience in this niche.
You could share industry tips and trade secrets to help your followers cover up blemishes or get that runway look at home. It’s also a great way to recommend the best products and tools to buy. And, who knows, you might even land a sponsorship deal with one of your favorite brands.
Alternatively, you could consider becoming a staff writer or blogger for a beauty publication or brand. This way, you become an expert in the field while helping others. And you get to do what you love.
Brand Representative or Salesperson
If you’re an outgoing individual with the ’gift of the gab’, then a career in sales or marketing may be perfect for you. And with an esthetician license, you could consider a career as a brand representative or salesperson in this field.
Your role would include promoting various skincare and/or cosmetic products to potential buyers. And your clients would likely include spas, salons, various stores, makeup artists, and more.
You would need to have in-depth knowledge of the products you’re selling, and you may need to facilitate sampling for clients. And you may have to lead product demonstrations at promotional events.
Cosmetics Buyer
A buyer sources and purchases the products and materials for a company. The company then either sells the products as is or uses the products and materials to create the products they sell.
Essentially, you would represent a large store, company, salon, spa, or specialty store. And your job would entail meeting with suppliers, quality control, cost and price analyses, and product testing. But your end goal would be sourcing the best possible products for your company.
Esthetician School Instructor or Licensing Examiner
As an esthetician school instructor, you have the power to influence and inspire the next generation of estheticians. And you get to enjoy the feeling of seeing your students achieve their goals and succeed in their chosen field.
Alternatively, you might think about pursuing a career as a licensing examiner. In this role, you’d be responsible for overseeing the would-be esthetician’s final examination.
State Board Inspector
The state board is in charge of ensuring that rules and regulations within the industry are met and maintained at all times. Therefore, as a state board inspector, your duties would include traveling to various establishments.
These would be salons, spas, and others facilitating any esthetician treatments or procedures. Your job would be to ensure that health and safety regulations are adhered to at these establishments. And you’d also check on the hygiene standards of each.
Medical Esthetician
Perhaps you’re serious about helping people and fancy the idea of working in the medical field. If that’s the case, you could always consider becoming a medical esthetician.
Here you would work closely with specialists such as dermatologists and plastic surgeons. And your primary focus would be helping pre-and post-op patients with more significant skin-related issues.
You would be required to carry out advanced treatments and procedures as a medical esthetician. These specialized procedures include Botox, skin tightening, vein therapy, chemical peels, and more.
And, while you wouldn’t need a medical degree, you may be required to obtain a master esthetician license to perform specialized treatments.
Conclusion
When exploring what you can do with an esthetician license, you’ll discover there are numerous career paths. And the roles mentioned above only represent a few core opportunities.
With the hyperconnectivity and opportunity brought about by the internet today, you could literally succeed at anything. And if you put your energies into being the best at what you love, there’s no doubt you’ll achieve your dreams.
