Interview advice?

[Tattooed beautician]

Hi all

I have some interviews coming up and wanting some advice for interviews.

I'm not what a "typical" beauty therapist looks like, and not sure if this is what's holding me back at interviews. As I have lots of qualifications, lots of experience (12 years) but I don't have the "look"

Iv been told numerous times I don't look like a beauty therapist. I have a lot of tattoos but they are very colourful and girly. I'm also very pale with natural very dark brown hair that I wear up in a bun for work mostly or in a vintage pin up style. I wear makeup in different styles depending on the day. But I don't have a tan or my nails done offten. Could it be my aperance that is letting me down at interview?

So any advice on what I can do to improve at interviews would be great.

 

[squidgernetball]

I honestly think you should be you. What I look for is confident and bubbly and keen. I’ve overlooked poor trade tests because I feel the therapist just has that something. Maybe try and keep it all a bit ‘neutral’ on interview, but you don’t want to have to pretend every day. Do you get to trade test, or is it falling flat at interview before you even do a trade test?

When I employed our receptionist I did wonder how it would pan out but her tattoos were completely overlooked because her personality and humour was so good.

Really wishing you the best of luck. I know how hard it is for us to find great therapists so I feel like you should have the pick of jobs.

Vic x

 

[Tattooed beautician]

Some have fallen flat before trade test usually when I say/ show the tattoos. I do try to cover them on the first meeting so that I'm not instantly judged by them. Others have said I need to tan, or change my hair or do my nails.

Others I have done a trade test to then be told I'd need to wear longsleeves top or cardigan with a tunic all the time. Which would be impossible to work in, in summer and isn't hygienic. I mean can you imagine doing a pedicure or waxing or massage or even nails in long sleeves!
I think I have a bubbly personality I'm very chatty, friendly and try to make clients laugh so that they are comfortable, I know my treatments are good, I used to do nails at competitions, am an artist as well so my makeup and nail art is (if I do say so myself) amazing. Iv managed salons, and teams and have loads of different qualifications, every salon Iv worked in I always build up a strong client base.
it literally seem to be the way I look that's letting me down. I feel like most salons want me to look like clone/ Barbie of what the ideal beauty therapist "looks" like. I know even know why that is lol.

 

[squidgernetball]

My only other thought is to try a different ‘type’ of salon. I’ve interviewed many of the clone therapists. All look gorgeous, but have one way of doing make up and think everyone wants to look like them. They’re not always a good fit!!!

You sound fabulous. Best of luck x

 

[Tattooed beautician]

My only other thought is to try a different ‘type’ of salon. I’ve interviewed many of the clone therapists. All look gorgeous, but have one way of doing make up and think everyone wants to look like them. They’re not always a good fit!!!

You sound fabulous. Best of luck x

Thank you.
Do you have any recommendations of what to wear/ you would think look best for perspective employees? Should I wear a tunic? Or just a smart top? I intend to wear smart black trousers, flat shoes, natural makeup and my hair up. But can't decided on the tunic or top lol.

 

[EssexFreelance]

Find somewhere that embraces uniqueness and youll be fine - if you always go for places where they look like clones then that could be an issue.

 

[jamiereid92]

When it comes to wear, do a little spy work. Look what the people in that salon are wearing and go for that.

You should have no problem finding work, don't let the salons that don't like the tattoos get you down. Thats their preference, there is going to be a salon that is looking for you, specifically you, tatties et al!

Good luck xxx

 

[AcidPerm]

With interviews, it’s tricky to second guess a decision because individual interviewers will interpret the same set of information differently. Also, consider that in some salons, you’re dealing with owners and managers who might have limited experience and training in recruitment matters and tend to choose staff who remind them of themselves.

With your skills and experience have you considered self employment and renting a beauty room in a funky hair salon? I have clients who are not keen on visiting conventional beauty salons as they feel intimidated by (what they perceive as) perfectly groomed staff and the clinical type setting.

 

[squidgernetball]

Thank you.
Do you have any recommendations of what to wear/ you would think look best for perspective employees? Should I wear a tunic? Or just a smart top? I intend to wear smart black trousers, flat shoes, natural makeup and my hair up. But can't decided on the tunic or top lol.

I don’t think the tunic or top will make or break it. Anything smart is fine. I would hope that an interviewer would look at the whole person x

 

[Tattooed beautician]

With interviews, it’s tricky to second guess a decision because individual interviewers will interpret the same set of information differently. Also, consider that in some salons, you’re dealing with owners and managers who might have limited experience and training in recruitment matters and tend to choose staff who remind them of themselves.

With your skills and experience have you considered self employment and renting a beauty room in a funky hair salon? I have clients who are not keen on visiting conventional beauty salons as they feel intimidated by (what they perceive as) perfectly groomed staff and the clinical type setting.

I have considered it. I do a bit of mobile now that I did alongside uni, and I would do more mobile, but I don't have a car and use public transport at the moment as I don't have many clients but if I took on more I would need a car which I don't have money for at the moment.
I also think I only want to work in a salon for a year as I will be starting my teacher training September 2019. And it's a lot of work to build up clients of my own for only a year and I don't think it's fair on them to just dump them after a year.

 

[jamiereid92]

Another tip is don't wait for a job advert. Email every salon that you like the look of and tell them you are looking for work. One of them will be wanting to employ but not got around to putting an advert out, or the advert isn't where you've been looking x

 

[squidgernetball]

Another tip is don't wait for a job advert. Email every salon that you like the look of and tell them you are looking for work. One of them will be wanting to employ but not got around to putting an advert out, or the advert isn't where you've been looking x

Great advice x

 

[Tattooed beautician]

Thanks everyone. I went on the interview, they weren't bothered by the tattoos at all. Did my trade test and... got the job!

 

[AcidPerm]

Congratulations on your new job. x

 

[squidgernetball]

Thanks everyone. I went on the interview, they weren't bothered by the tattoos at all. Did my trade test and... got the job!

Fantastic. Well done x