Hair Stylist Resume Examples & Templates
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Hair stylists provide shampoo, cutting and styling services, and offer advice and consultations on how to style hair. They are licensed to provide these services and also have strong customer service and relationship-building skills.
With our expertly crafted hair stylist resume samples and pro tips, we’ll help you write a resume that showcases your expert training and ability to build rapport.
Start by editing this sample resume for a hair stylist job or explore our library of customizable resume templates to find one that matches your unique style.
Hair stylist resume example (text version)
Jeanne Stewart
Burlington, VT 05408
555-555-5555
example@example.com
Summary Statement
Hairstylist with an excellent education at the Aveda Institute and over a year apprenticeship at Peter Thomas salon seeking a full-time position in a cutting-edge salon. My specialty is balayage treatment and I have great cut and color skills that would be great assets to your salon. Flexible and adaptable with experience performing reception duties.
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
- Individually licensed by the state of Vermont
- Aveda trained and certified
- Strong client satisfaction record
- Sanitation and hygiene
- Eager to learn best new practices and techniques
- Familiarity with Aveda product line
- Conversational, thoughtful and compassionate
PROFESSIONAL SKILLS
Communication
- Easy-going and natural communication with clients of all ages, with a 98% client satisfaction rate.
- Apt to ask the right questions to achieve client goals.
- Good at providing low-pressure creative suggestions to an average of 50 clients per week.
- Positive relationships with coworkers and team collaboration, improving productivity by 35%.
- Clearly explains salon procedures and at-home care tips to customers.
Attention to Detail
- Strong eye for color and ability to match client needs and appropriate designs.
- Nuanced skill to adjust colors as needed.
- Safety and proper chemical protocol were observed, decreasing safety accidents by 96%.
- Always double-checks the finished cut and provide touch-ups as needed.
Organization
- Kept clean areas and minimized the risk of infection or injury to customers by using required solutions and procedures to clean and sanitize tools.
- Stocked merchandise, clearly labeled over 500 items and arranged according to size or color to prevent waste.
- Maintained an efficient schedule that never keeps clients waiting.
- Organized and scheduled an average of 100 appointments per week, by phone, email or in person.
Work History
- March 2019 – Current
Peter Thomas Salon – Burlington, VT
Stylist Apprentice - February 2017 – March 2019
Madusalon – Burlington, VT
Receptionist
Education
May 2019
Aveda Institute Burlington, VT
Associate of Applied Science Cosmetology
Important resume sections
Contact details
Start your hair stylist resume with a header including your contact information. As our hair stylist resume sample shows, include your full name, city, state, ZIP code, phone number and professional email address. If you have a LinkedIn profile and a professional website or social profile, add them to this section.
Personal statement
A hair stylist resume summary is a three- to five-sentence statement that tells the hiring manager how long you’ve been in the industry, your strongest job-relevant skills, and one or two quantifiable accomplishments that speak to your positive impact in past roles. For example:
Dedicated and passionate hair stylist with over five years experience delivering exceptional service to clients. Recognized as a top performer who consistently meets and exceeds client expectations. A strong relationship builder who earns credibility and trust with clients through strong listening and communication skills.
See our expertly crafted examples for additional hair stylist resume summary examples. If you’re just starting in your career, write a resume objective for a hair stylist instead.
Skills
Use bullet points to create a balanced skills section for your hair stylist resume. See our hair stylist sample resume for an example of how to format your skills section. Here are some essential skills for a hair stylist:
- Active listening: Hair stylists must be able to listen and understand what clients are asking for with each service.
- Communication: Strong verbal communication skills are crucial for a hair stylist to effectively interact with clients and other stylists.
- Sales and marketing: Hair stylists will be asked about products and service offerings and need to be adept at explaining different options available for each client and specific situation.
Match as many skills from the job description as you can. As our sample hair stylist resume shows, it’s best to include both hard skills, like point-of-sale (POS) and accounting software, and soft skills, such as communication, relationship-building and customer service.
Work history
Your resume must include a work history section that starts with your most recent position and provides company names, locations and the dates you worked for them.
Include three bullet points of measurable achievements for every job you list. Here are a few examples of hair stylist resume bullet points that effectively describe key duties and responsibilities:
- Tracked and organized salon inventory, ensuring 50+ products were fully stocked, labeled and displayed for sale.
- Achieved 99% client satisfaction rate after service delivery.
- Accurately tracked and recorded sales and services, assisting the salon with accounting requirements on an ongoing basis.
Explore our resume examples for hair stylists to see additional work history section samples.
Education
A resume for a hair stylist job must also include an education section. Start with your highest degree and work your way backward. Use bullet points to show the name of the schools and the graduation year.
To get a job as a hair stylist, you will need to have a license and graduate from a state-approved cosmetology program. In addition to listing your license in this section of your resume, listing any special classes or additional training you’ve completed is also recommended.
If you did not attend college, list your high school information and the classes or training you’ve taken since graduating. See how to list education on a resume for additional tips and examples.
See why MyPerfectResume is a 5-star resume builder
Action words for your resume
Use action words and numbers to make your descriptions compelling. Here’s a short list of perfect action words for a hair stylist resume:
- Treat
- Color
- Suggest
- Style
- Cut
- Arrange
- Shape
- Curl
- Set
- Dye
- Tint
- Advise
- Recommend
- Consult
- Maintain
- Educate
- Perform
- Manage
- Assess
- Sell
- Sanitize
Want more inspiration? We have 800+ resume examples to help you write a professional hair stylist resume.
Best skills for your resume
Review the job description closely and match the required skills to the ones that fit you. Your hair stylist resume skills section should feature abilities such as the following:
- Hairstyling
- Hair coloring
- Balayage
- Layering
- Keratin treatments
- Blowouts
- Braiding
- Hair extensions
- Creativity
- Customer service
- Active listening
- Time management
- Communication
- Attention to detail
- Organization
- Trend watching
- Adaptability
- Sanitation and hygiene
- Sales
- Collaboration
- Equipment maintenance
Our Resume Builder has all the tools you need to create a professional resume in minutes! We’ll help you fill in your template, make edits on the fly, and download and save your finished resume in multiple file formats.
Certifications for your resume
Though not required, having a certification on your resume can help you to stand out. It shows potential employers that you are committed to updating your skills and staying on top of the latest trends and techniques.
The following certifications can add impact to your hair stylist resume:
- Board of Certified Hair Colorists Certification
- Wella Style Expert Certification Program
- Wella Trend Expert Certification Program
- Brazilian Blowout Certification
- Keratin Complex Certifications
Pair your resume with a matching cover letter
FAQ
What do you put on a hair stylist resume when you don’t have experience?
If you are a hair stylist with no prior experience, you can still create an impressive resume by focusing on your transferable skills, relevant coursework, and any volunteer or extracurricular activities that demonstrate your customer service, communication and relationship-building skills. Here are some tips for writing a hair stylist resume with no experience:
- Emphasize your transferable skills: Skills such as communication, organization, problem-solving and active listening are valuable in any salon environment and can be gained through various experiences, such as part-time jobs, internships or volunteer work.
- Include a detailed skills section: Use a functional resume format to organize your skills into key categories and show how your capabilities and accomplishments qualify you for the position.
- Educational achievements: Provide details about your classroom studies and hands-on training, and highlight academic accomplishments and relevant coursework.
See our guide on how to make a resume with no experience for additional tips and tricks.
What should you list under the skills section of a hair stylist resume?
Your skills section should include two categories of skills: hard skills and soft skills. The former are technical skills that you have learned through on-the-job experience and training and that you need to perform the specific duties of a hair stylist. Examples include the ability to perform balayage, style updos and apply Keratin treatments.
Soft skills, on the other hand, are personality traits and attributes that help you excel in any workplace. These include the ability to communicate well with clients, work effectively in a team, adapt to changes and pay attention to details.
Putting these skills on your hair stylist resume will show employers that you will be a successful, productive employee. Remember, it is important that your resume is tailored to your target position, so try to include the skills that appear under the requirements in the job description.
For more ideas on what to list, take a look at our overview of top hair stylist resume skills on this page and check out our resume templates for hair stylist roles.
How do you make a standout resume for a hair stylist job?
A standout hair stylist resume should incorporate the following design tips:
- Keep your resume short and to the point. If you have less than 10 years of experience, it should be one page long; if you have more than 10 years of experience, then it’s acceptable to have two pages.
- Ensure your resume is formatted correctly, meaning that margins should be 1 inch on all sides and line space should be single or 1.15.
- Only use appropriate fonts, like Times New Roman, Arial or Helvetica, in 11-12 points on the body and 14-16 points on headers.
- Proofread your resume more than once before sending it to potential employers.
To impress employers, your resume should also include measurable accomplishments, for example:
- Executed an efficient schedule minimizing client wait time.
- Increased product sales by 10% within six months.
- Built positive relationships with stylists and clients, contributing to a positive atmosphere and helping the salon achieve a 95% client satisfaction rate.
See how long a resume should be for additional guidance from career advice experts.
What is the best hair stylist resume format?
The resume format you choose will depend on your experience and career goals. If you have experience, try a chronological resume, focusing on your work history and accomplishments.
If you have a few years of experience and want to stress your full array of skills, a combination resume is an excellent option.
If you are a new hair stylist with minimal or no professional experience, a functional resume is a good option for focusing on your relevant skills, such as communication, customer service and creativity.
Best practices
- Use measurable achievements to describe your abilities and experience as a hair stylist. For example, “Provided services to salon clients, building clientele to 100% capacity within six months.”
- Use action words to make an impact on your hair stylist resume.
- Tailor your resume to your target hair stylist job.
- Use keywords from the job description throughout your hair stylist resume.
- Format your hair stylist resume so that it is easy to read by ATS software and human eyes.
- Lie about your styling experience and skills.
- Boast that you are the “most successful hair stylist in the state.” Instead, focus on concrete examples of your experience working with clients, selling products and maintaining client files.
- Include irrelevant personal information, such as your ethnicity and age.
- Add skills and experience that do not align with a hair stylist role.
- Forget to proofread. A hair stylist resume with errors is unprofessional. Use our ATS Resume Checker to scan for 30+ common errors and improve your resume score.
Interview tips
Research first.
A critical first step in interview preparation is to learn about the employer’s history, goals, values and people before the interview.
Showing in-depth knowledge about a potential employer conveys interest, passion and commitment — traits that make for a desirable candidate.
See our job interview guide for additional tips from career advice experts.
Practice your answers.
Practicing your answers is really important. Be sure to practice for your interview by reviewing the most common interview questions, such as:
- How do you determine priorities when scheduling your time?
- What two or three things are most important to you in your job?
- What has been your most rewarding accomplishment?
Prepare for common behavioral interview questions, such as:
- Describe a time when you had to cope with a stressful scenario.
- How would your boss describe you?
- What are the qualities that contribute to professional success?
Also, prepare for job-specific questions, including:
- Can you walk us through your approach to how you incorporate product sales into your work?
- How do you work with clients to make the best decisions for their service requests?
- Could you provide an example of a time when you had to resolve a customer complaint and how you managed the interaction?
Write down two or three possible answers for each question, then practice answering them with a friend.
Prepare questions to ask during the interview.
At the end of an interview, the interviewer will often give you the opportunity to ask them a few questions.
Always have at least three questions for each person you speak with during the interview process. Doing so shows that you are interested and have been paying close attention.
Some questions you might ask for a hair stylist job are:
- Can you tell me more about the salon’s culture and work environment?
- How are appointments scheduled and managed?
- What goals would you set for me over the next six months?
- Can you describe the company’s current approach to professional development and training?
Remember to ask open-ended questions and give the interviewer time to answer.
Gather references.
Have professional references ready before your interview — you never know if the hiring manager might want to contact them immediately. Ask a former manager and two former colleagues who can speak about your performance as a hair stylist and who you know will give you an excellent review.
Cover letter examples for the next step in your cosmetology career
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Toni is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and experienced career expert. She holds a master’s degree in family studies and has spent the past seven years helping job seekers navigate resumes, interviews, and career transitions.
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