Career Advice for Cosmetologists

You
have learned in various ways in which cosmetologists get paid and earn
their living. Now, imagine that you have to give career advice to the
individuals described below. Consider whether commission, renting a booth, salary, or self-employment would be the best for each of the following scenarios, as well as where the person could work. Consider
expertise, client base, and any other factors that would shape the individual’s choice.

Mario is a makeup artist. He has about five years’ experience in the field. While he is very good at what he does, he has recently moved from New York, where he did a lot of makeup for television shows, to a midsized town in the Midwest,
which is his partners hometown. Here, there is far less work in
television, so he will need to switch his specialty. In New York, he was
self-employed and had no problem finding work. Although he does not
have a lot of clients here, his spouse is well positioned to help him
get to know a lot of people in the area. Because the couple just moved,
they have a lot of bills, so a steady income is important.

Janine
had been working at the same spa for 15 years when the owner decided to
retire and close the business. Janine had been one of the most popular estheticians there and has gotten certified to perform a highly specialized skin treatment. For years, she managed the salon but returned to just
providing cosmetology services because she wanted to spend more time
with her clients. She prefers not to work weekends because she wants to
spend that time with her family and has been considering reducing her hours to work part-time.

Clara got started on her cosmetology license after having two children. She knew that she would want to go
back to work after her children started school and will be looking for a
job starting in September.
While she has been able to stay home with her children, that put her
and her husband on a very tight budget, and her husband had to work a
lot of overtime to make ends meet. She needs to be at her children’s school by 4:00 to pick them up. If she has to pay for after-school
care, it substantially reduces her earnings. She did very well in
cosmetology school and has good experience but is new to the industry.

Fill
out the chart below, ranking how important each of the following is to
the cosmetologist described. Use a scale of 1-3 where 1= very important,
2= somewhat important, and 3= not important. When you have completed
the chart, write a brief paragraph for each person explaining whether you would recommend commission, booth rental, salary, or self-employment. Explain why you feel your choice is best for the individual described.