Esties who previously had another career
I am working on our back-page topic for the next ASCP Skin Deep magazine and would like to hear from people who became an esthetician after having a previous career doing something else. Please reply here and your answer might be used in the magazine! What did you do before, and what made you change to skin care? How has it worked out for you? Do you feel your other career skills have made a difference in your current role?
This could also be relevant to people who do skin care part-time and have another career at the same time.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jodi on
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Hi! I fit into both catagories. I was in corporate America for 20+ years, in the insurance and telecommuncation industries. I was tired of working in a stressful office setting and have always loved skin care. I had wanted to go back to school for years and finally, in 2009 the time was right (I was 45 years old) and went back to school part time at night while working 40+ hours a week during the day. I love my career in skin care, but I have yet to make it a full time venture, simply due to how the job is paid at the majority of spas/salons (commission only). It's very scary to think about going from a regular paycheck to one that can be all or nothing some months. I'm working part time in skin care, building my experience and clientele, while working full time (30 hours) in another low stress job that pays the bills like clockwork. My goal is to save some money, jump to full time skin care and someday open my own skin care spa.
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Permalink Reply by Angela Brill on
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I did this also. Worked a job I hated for about 15 years got my BS degree in Business. I went to a spa for a cellulite treatment and loved it so much I started working there part time doing her books for free services. I then got certified to do the treatments and later at age 44 got my esthetician license. I worked part time and worked my corp job 30hrs per week. I quit my jib in June of last year . At that time I realized I would need to leap out on my own. Unfortunately my relationship ended badly at my other spa so I rented a room and got set up and ran a groupon to get started in about 3 weeks time. So far things are great, I love my job but I do miss having the benefits of paid leave and insurance!! I am still learning but I feel my business degree has really helped me succeed!
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Johnston on
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After graduating from College in Tourism and Transportation/ Business Merchandising I was a front desk receptionist for Ramada Inn (Canada)... a barmaid at the Bunch of Grapes (London, England)....a bartender at 'Down Under' (Canada).... temped at the Ministry of Transportation and temped at American Express Travel Agency (Canada). I was extremely depressed, lost, had just come out of a really bad 4 year relationship and the ladies in the Travel Agency were not friendly to me. One day a man came in selling spa package gift certificates to a new salon that had opened in town. The other travel agents told him to leave but I said, 'hold on and sell me one'. I had only ever had my eyebrows waxed before. In May 1996 I was 28 and was actually about to experience my first facial, pedicure and massage. I went home to my apartment after my spa day and I thought to myself...Everyone one there seemed really happy, I want that. So I looked in the phone book and the only school listed was Versailles Academy in Ottawa. Approx. 2 hours from where I lived. I called , got an interview and was accepted into the program and started that August. I gave up my cute apartment, sold my furniture and moved into a Dormitory run by the nuns of Joan of Arc for women under the age of 30 visiting and going to school in Ottawa. I loved my school, the teachers and everything about Esthetics. In August of 1997 I opened my own salon and having been going and growing ever since. My years in customer service, the age I went back to school and my life experience up to that point was definitely an advantage in me breaking into the industry and surviving. I'm 45 and I've never been busier or happier.
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I think my love of skin care has always been with me, but I just went down the wrong career path for 15 years before I got there! I used to work in the technology industry, building web-based sales campaigns and monitoring the sale when it went live. Most of the time, it was smooth sailing, but when so much is on the line, the tiniest glitch can mean hundreds or thousands of dollars in lost revenue. Long hours, high stress, and no recognition wore me down, and I found myself questioning the path I was on. The company struggled, and ended up laying off a significant number of employees to try and cut their bottom line, and I was one of those chosen. I decided then to switch careers and do something I had always loved. I sought out and attended a school that would give me the best education, and I am so happy with the change. I know now that this is what I was always meant to do, and I think my clients see that and respond to it. I am happier and I get to help people every day, which is an amazing feeling. I do feel like my previous background gives me a good foundation. I realize the value of being trustworthy and honest, and not just selling to make a buck, I learned how to train people and talk to people about complicated issues, and I honed my problem-solving skills. All of that has benefited me with my career as an Esthetician.
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Permalink Reply by coldsalineplexus on
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This is a really cool thread! I love reading these stories.
I only worked in the corporate world for one year after college before going back to school for esthetics, but I consider what I learned that year to be the equivalent of getting paid to get an MBA. The large staffing company I worked for had a business model where they broke everything down into small business units within branch offices. My partner and I were responsible for outside sales (trying to get companies-mostly factories-to request temps from us) and negotiating our pricing; all of the interviewing/hiring/drug testing/background checking/placing on assignments/enrolling in benefits/taking disciplinary action/handling worker's comp/firing of our temps (so, the whole range of HR functions); as well as managing the financials for our two person business unit, including all our office and marketing costs, right down to our own salaries. I learned to be a fearless saleswoman, a halfway decent boss (and one who knows employment laws and follows them), and a good judge of costs and benefits of investment decisions within a business.
I absolutely think I still could have been a great esthetician without that year of learning, but I'm not sure that I could have succeeded in building a business. I was also really grateful to get out of that stuffy corporate environment and to stop having to put out a ton of energy for people who largely didn't care about the jobs we found them, did stupid things to lose them, and generally preferred being on unemployment. That was depressing, and I still count my blessings that I am able to work every day with people who care about their quality of life and are taking steps to improve it.
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Permalink Reply by Carrie Patrick on
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Wow, these are all such great stories! Thank you all who have posted so far! We also put this on ASCP's Facebook page and there are a TON of replies there ... everything from accountants to gardeners to minor league baseball. You just never know. It is amazing where people's lives take them.
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Permalink Reply by Trina Renea on
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Hi, My name is Trina Renea. I have been working as an Esthetician in my own spa, Facial Bungalow for 8 years. At the same time I have been working with a Dermatologist for 7 years. I absolutely love my career and am so passion about all there is to learn in the constantly evolving future of esthetics.
Before becoming an Esthetician I was the lead singer in an all girl punk band called Lo Ball, on Interscope Records.
http://youtu.be/tcmjwFHqxvY and http://youtu.be/-ibI4yPVrtk.
I spent my life in the music industry in bands while working behind the scenes in A&R and managing recording studios until my big break in 2001. I joined Lo Ball one week before 9/11 and a week later was on a USO tour to the middle east to sing for our troops before being sent off to Afghanistan. This was the highlight of my singing career. Our job was to boost the moral of the soldiers, said the Generals. And we did!
Being all girls in a punk rock band we wore a lot of makeup and needed our skin to look amazing. I took on the project of searching out good estheticians and finding products that would get all our makeup off but not dry out our skin and make us break out. I loved taking care of my girls. I thought, if this band ever ends I would be great in the skincare business! I secretly thought I would probably be happier too. It would be nice to be settled in one town, in a quiet serene environment, taking care of other women. On the tour bus I would often dream about this alternate life. In 2004 when my band broke up I immediately, and happily left the business and enrolled in esthetician school. I have never looked back. I love my business and my life. I currently have a rapidly growing spa and provide an internship for new estheticians. I love mentoring new estheticians and helping them figure out their path in this ever growing industry.
Trina Renea
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I love this! So, I have to ask ... do you ever wish you could use punk/hardcore music in the treatment room instead of the more typical spa music? This is a topic I always think about, because my own musical tastes lean toward extreme metal, black metal and melodic death metal ... and I would never risk making some poor esthetician's eyeballs explode if I brought along any of those CDs to listen to during a treatment, no matter how softly it was played. :D
So of course when I go for a facial and they offer a choice of music/bring your own music, I usually pick something classical. But it would put a huge smile on my face to know I was going to an esthetician who used to be a punk vocalist.
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Haha! I actually enjoy the peacefulness of spa music and Buddha vibe type music in the room. Don't want to freak out the clients. I went to an esthetician once who played rock during my facial and it wasn't relaxing at all! And it was very bright in the room. All wrong. My rooms are dark with candles. Very relaxing vibe.
If you came for a facial it would be fun to rock out with you :)
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After beautifying people's homes and offices for twenty-eight years, spending the last ten of that time in custom products management for a large retailer that liquidated ( after ninety-five years in business ) in 2011, I moved out of state. Since skincare had always been of interest to me, and the move would cause me to " start over again," the switch to skincare became a natural choice. My love of continuing education and staying abreast of all things skin allows me to be involved in a field I truly enjoy! I have not looked back once, and am just opening a studio in the High Rockies, where keeping skin healthy can be a challenge. My business experience, love of touch therapy, and obtaining realistic goals for both my clients and me is extremely rewarding.
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Permalink Reply by Sheila Gordon on
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I originally went to college to become a Nurse but being 18 and not wanting to work too hard at school, I changed my major 4 times and ended up with a BA in Interior Design. I worked for an office furniture mfg got 7 years and was the head designer over their design department. I did mostly space planning offices, training rooms, govt facilities and after 4 years the company went under, fired everyone except 9 of us to help wind things down. After a week or so they started to flip flop of we are staying ipen, we are closing, we are selling, etc etc. I decided to leave and work for an office furniture dealer. After 3months of being miserable there the old company sold and the new owners negotiated me to come back for a really decent paycheck. For the next three years it was PURE HELL! They moved out mfg facility 3 times, our lead times were 6 months to a year, people were angry and calling and using us as human punching bags and rightfully so. Our boss was an an abusive alcoholic that treated us poorly and was never around and finally one day I said enough is enough, I am goign to back to nursing school. After enrolling and realizing it was going to take me 3 semesters for 3 prereq classes I freaked out. I was 30 at the time and didn't want to be in school another 3-5 years so I started internet searching. I literally stumbled across paramedical esthetician and next thing you know I was in school. After my first week of learning facials and having my mom and sister come in, they both said...WOW, I think you are doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing. Isn't that crazy!! I never thought once about skin care and I had plenty of facials. I always thought i would work for a dr but after a teacher told me, You know, these clients are craving the power of touch. They have lost their loved ones and often have noone so make this time special for them. That literally changed my life. Now it's great because having the Interior Design background, I know how to make my room aesthetically pleasing, organized, etc. Often times you go in rooms and they are so cold and I don't mean just the temperature. I can also help other esty's with little pieces of advice on how to do their rooms as well. It all came together and it has been such an amazing ride!!
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Permalink Reply by Amanda Yates on
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I'm currently working as an LVN. I used to work as an Esthetician five years ago but when my number on the wait list came up I jumped into the program. I only worked as an Esthetician for a year, but I was successful and feel it was where I was meant to be at the time. I was great at waxing and facials! I miss the Skin care industry and I'm looking at continuing education classes so that I can get back into the business. I'm nervous about the unknowns as far as income etc. I have thought about getting my RN and applying it to my Esthetician lic. but a large part of me says to go back to being an Esthetician, take classes and possibly take Business/Marketing classes for tips on a future business. I'm typically a planner and not a risk taker, but I believe I could be very successful as an Esthetician..We'll see what happens.
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