Hair extensions, acrylics, and full glam mannequin heads litter the booth table.
Students stack pamphlets and flyers in their hands, signing up for mailing lists and picking up applications.
On March 26, six different cosmetology and esthetician institutions hosted a career fair for students interested in the beauty industry. Students could ask questions about job opportunities, course curriculum, and certifications from different esthetician programs.
“Trades [like cosmetology] are in really high demand,” College and Career Advisor Mary Ricks said. “If you know you want to just do one thing, maybe your passion, but don’t want to take science, history, or math classes; there are programs that will allow you to get that certificate, that training, without the cost of college and then you can start making money a lot faster.”
Full-time students can complete a Flavous beauty cosmetology course in six and a half months, while part-time students take up to 11 months. Upon completion, students receive five certifications: chemical peels, microdermabrasion, dermaplaning, brow elimination and a classic and volume certification.
“Our esthetician program right now is $7,500,” owner of Flavous Beauty Academy Kaleena Cooperwood-Thompson said. “Our manicure program is $6,000 and our eyelash extension program is $4,000. Not all students have the means for that, so they can go and make monthly payments of $500 with a down payment.
In Texas, cosmetologists typically earn an average annual salary of around $40,329, while estheticians earn $30,000 to $50,000 annually. Self-employed estheticians can potentially earn up to $100,000.
“I always tell my students that it doesn’t matter about the money,” Cooperwood-Thompson said. “The wealth is when you go out and you help serve your community. We always teach our students about being a philanthropist, going out and serving. They’re community driven.”
Junior Lourdes Garcia attended the fair because she wanted to turn her passion into a career.
“Growing up, I always loved doing hair and nails,” Garcia said. “I mostly did my family’s nails or hairstyles, or lashes. My mom helped teach me the basics of hair dye, [now] I always dye my hair. That’s what got me into it.”
As she grew older, Garcia knew she wanted to start her own nail and hair business. Some programs offer support for students like Garcia who want to be entrepreneurs.
“When we get ready to place [the students] into job placement, they already have knowledge of how to be their own boss,” Cooperwood-Thompson said. “We teach them how to get their LLC. We have a tax accountant, who [teaches] the students about building their LLC (Limited liability corporation) or their S Corp and C Corp for their businesses. We have a website designer come in and she talks to them about SEO searches, which is search engine optimization. We also have one of my friends, who is a marketing major, [who] talks to them about how to go out and market yourself when you’re trying to work for someone.”
For students who want to work at a salon or another company, Flavous Beauty contacts waxing companies like Debra Zill to ask for available job positions for their students.
“We try to make sure that they have some type of job placement once they leave the program,” Cooperwood-Thompson said. “Now, we can’t guarantee the job, but we try to make sure that they’re ready for that position if it does become available.”
The institutions at this fair introduce students to the beauty industry through certifications and training.
“I want to be a businesswoman when it comes to hair and nails,” Garcia said. “I hope [the programs] help me learn what path [to take], learn the basics and the meaning behind the work so I can start my career and business to help people out.”
