spa_resume

A Spa Resume That Gets Attention by Jo Halpert

The spa industry is booming and it seems that every gal and her brother want to work in the spa business. As a Spa Director, I had received resumes on a daily basis from experienced spa professionals as well as former waitresses, administrative assistants and others from the corporate world, particularly, for skin care positions. I suppose the relaxing environment of a therapist’s treatment room is more attractive than the more stressful corporate cubical. Additionally, massage therapists, whose bodies can no longer tolerate the physical labor of performing regular body massage, are getting their skin care licenses to extend their careers. There are fresh job postings daily on many websites and skin care college bulletin boards and new skin care colleges are popping up all the time. As more and more spas continue to open and the industry expands into new venues like retirement communities and private residential developments, there will be many career opportunities, but spas are looking for the best of the best in the field. Job applicants will have to stand out among their peers to secure the position that they are looking for. Your first introduction to any company is your resume. So how do you make it stand out? How do you hope to start a new position at a higher pay rate than entry level? How can you get the busiest shifts at the spa, or other perks and benefits that you are important to you? The answer is, that your resume needs to really grab the attention of the HR Director or Spa Director, so that they will have the desire to pick up the phone and call you for more information or to set up an interview, instead of filing your resume in the rubbish can.

Show Off Your Responsibilities and Accomplishments

The resume that stands out is one that not only lists education, work history and responsibilities, but also lists accomplishments. So what is the difference between a responsibility and an accomplishment in a job position? What is the best way to include both responsibilities and accomplishments on your resume?

Responsibilities in a job are basically all of the assigned duties that you are given by a company for performing your job on a regular basis. For example, a skin care therapist is required to perform many different types of facials and waxing services. On your resume then, you would list all of the different types of facials that you have performed whether at skin care college or from previous work experience. But when performing these responsibilities also consider what you were able to really accomplish. Did you start out part time for example, but was able to increase your clientele within 6 months so that you then worked full time? This would be a great accomplishment. Perhaps by learning new skills, such as specializing in acne treatments for example, you were able to bring in even more business for your former employer. Maybe you excel in retail sales and was able to increase retail sales at a previous spa postition by 20%, 30% or even more! This indeed would be a wonderful accomplishment and highlight you as a very good candidate for an interview. (See our article on Traits of a Great Therapist.)

Still not sure how to highlight accomplishments on your resume? A good trick to remember is that accomplishments are actions and should therefore be listed on your resume beginning with an action word, or a verb. Some great accomplishment-action words could be; increased, advised, assisted, managed, instructed, created, performed, marketed, maintained, etc. If you are still not sure and would like a visual, here are a couple of examples of how you could list the information on your resume.

Aesthetic Surgery & Dermatology, New York, NY
Paramedical Aesthetician, June 2002-October 2002
Responsible for performing paramedical aesthetic procedures such as acne surgery, Microdermabrasion, glycolic and other acid peels, and vitamin treatments.
Accomplishments
·Retailed skin care treatment packages and multiple lines of skin care products with average daily sales of $350
·Performed consultations for doctor’s patients at doctor’s request
·Administrative duties included patient charting, filing, scheduling of appointments and appointment confirmations, inventory of retail products, and restocking treatment rooms

J&S Spa and Salon, New York, NY
Lead Day Spa Aesthetician, March 2001-September 2001
Responsible for setting an example as a “model” therapist and advisor to the spa manager and owners
Accomplishments
·Instructed spa staff in the performance of new services through both practical and theoretical training
·Created the spas signature stone pedicure treatment
·Performed hands-on services including various skin care treatments, pedicures, manicures, hair removal, body treatments and foot reflexology
·Created lecture notes, student manuals and handouts