A good resume is essential for all jobs, including those for hairstylists. Here’s how you can write a hairstylist resume using resume tips from ResumeNerd.

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Hairstylist Resume Examples
Hairstylists can bring significant amounts of self-confidence to an individual. However, just because you’re licensed to work as a hairstylist, that doesn’t mean a hiring manager will necessarily want to hire you. Learn how to write a hairstylist resume that will make any recruiter bring you in for a job interview.

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What To Highlight in a Hairstylist Resume
Hairstylists need a wide array of skills, and many stylists choose different specialties. For example, you might have chosen to become a specialized colorist, taken extra training to learn special haircutting techniques or learned how to make your salon safer for people with disabilities. Highlight your specialties, so a hiring manager wants to hire you.
Structure of a Hairstylist Resume
Before you begin writing your hairstylist's resume, it’s important to decide on a resume format. There are three resume formats: chronological, which highlights experience; functional, which emphasizes skills rather than experience; and combination, which highlights both. Choose the right format for your needs, then include the following sections.
Header
Your resume header is part of the resume template. Use this section to fill out your contact information, including your phone number, email address and professional social media links, such as your LinkedIn profile. You can also include a link to your professional portfolio, if you have it.
Resume summary or objective
Next, you can move into the first section of the resume. If you have years of experience, write a resume summary that emphasizes your expertise, as well as any achievements you have. If you have little to no experience, you can write a resume objective, which instead emphasizes your skills and indicates the intentions and goals you hope to accomplish in this new role.
Skills
Hairstylists can have many different skills and even specialize in some. Here are a few bullet points if you’re looking for some skills to include in your resume:
- Communication skills
- Customer service skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Creation of the overall hairdressing experience
- Knowledge of different haircare products
- Ability to provide many haircare services
- General haircare and hairstyling
- Hair coloring
- Shampooing
- Color techniques, like balayage
- Blowouts
- Braiding
- Hair extensions
- Perming
- Updos
- Volumizing
Note that this list includes both hard skills, which are the knowledge and technical skills you’ve trained for and soft skills, which are skills you have developed across multiple jobs and are transferable such as interpersonal skills, and written and verbal communication.
Work history
You can include up to 10 years of experience as a hairstylist in the work experience section. Remember that these can consist of academic and volunteer work, two types of work hairstylists sometimes do as they start growing their client base. List your previous jobs in reverse-chronological order and include the salon name and dates of employment for each job.
Education
A hairstylist will often only have a high school diploma before going through cosmetology school and getting their license. Don’t include your high school diploma; add your cosmetology school experience and all certifications, including your license.
Do’s and Don’ts for a Hairstylist Resume
Keep these tips in mind when writing your hairstylist resume:
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Do:
- Include any professional social media links you have. For example, if your portfolio is on Instagram or TikTok, include these social media links on your resume.
- Give as many specific examples as you can. A resume is all about specificity, and you want to show what skills and experiences you excel in.
- Read the job description carefully before you submit your resume. You want to match the job requirements and your skills.
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Don’t:
- Turn your resume in without proofreading it. Typos and grammatical errors, even accidental ones, are among the biggest resume killers.
- Focus on your old achievements. You want to show the recruiter that you’re excelling at your job now, so focus on those accomplishments.
- Leave out non-professional experience on your resume. Volunteer work, internships and academic work all count as relevant experience, especially if they were in the last few years.