Hair Stylist Resume:Templates, Tips & Examples

As a Hair Stylist, your bread and butter is giving your client’s hair a fashionable look. Did you know you can do the same for your resume? Our expertly outlined resume templates can help. Give your resume a fresh look to stand out to any hiring manager.

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ResumeGiants Team
Written by
ResumeGiants Team
Resume and Cover Letter Experts
Updated on December 12, 2023

From simple hair trims and stylish new haircuts to hair dying, curling, straightening, and fashioning fabulous updos, hair stylists are always in demand. 

If you’re after a hair stylist position yourself, one of the tools that will help you score the job is to nail your resume.

Putting thought into compiling your resume for the job that you want is pivotal – and we have the guide you need. 

Read our guide, learn what a top resume features, and then check out our resume templates that you can use when applying for a hair stylist job.

Hair Stylist Resume Sample

Most job applications require you to put together a strong resume. When applying for a hair stylist position, attention to detail is one of the most important traits your employer will want to see. This needs to be reflected in your resume. 

Learning how to write a resume means learning even more about the industry you’re applying to as well as identifying your key accomplishments, competencies, and qualifications.

All in all, a professional hair stylist resume should look something like this example:

Resume Example
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[Kelly Adams]

[Hair Stylist]

[333-333-3333 | k.adams@randomemail.com | linkedin.com/k.adams | Instagram: k.adamshairdo]

Summary

Licensed Cosmetologist with 10+ years of experience providing hair care services to returning customers. Skilled in administrative duties and customer service. Result-oriented and flexible in a fast-paced work environment.

Work Experience

Hair Stylist 

Sweet Pixie Salon, Austin, Texas 

September 2018 — Present

  • Provided different hair care services to clients like cutting, styling, dyeing, straightening, perms, and blowouts
  • Prioritized customer service and maintained regular clientele
  • Introduced adapted procedures during COVID-19, following the pandemic protocols such as home visits, stricter scheduling policy, and video tutorials, boosting income by 15%

Hair Stylist 

Luscious Locks

January 2011 — July 2015

  • Conducted consultations with customers and recommended haircuts according to their face shape and personal style
  • Managed bookings and served walk-ins 
  • Trained five new apprentice hair stylists

Education

Associate’s Degree in Cosmetology

Coahoma Community College, Clarksdale, USA

2017

High School Diploma

Clarksdale High School, MS, USA

2013

Key Skills

  • Client rapport
  • Attention to detail
  • Creativity
  • Organization
  • Bookkeeping

Certifications

  • Certified Hair colorist, 2019

Languages

  • English – native
  • Spanish – intermediate level

Interests

  • Fashion
  • Painting

The best way to catch your employer’s attention is to include as much relevant information as you can. You can use this template as a guide and include your own professional qualities, background, and skills. 

When applying for a hair stylist position don’t forget to also include a portfolio of your work. Nowadays, social media is the best way to be seen. If you have a professional Instagram account, dedicated solely to your work, include a link on your resume.

What’s the Best Hair Stylist Resume Format?

There are several resume format types to choose from, but whichever one you end up using, your resume needs to be easy to read, concise, and to the point

You should strive to highlight your best qualities and downplay your weaknesses without seeming braggy and overly confident. 

  • If you are someone who’s been in the hair styling business for quite some time now, your best option would be the reverse-chronological format. This type of resume lists your relevant work experience from the most recent one and goes way back to the first. 
  • For candidates who are not quite so experienced, the functional resume format would be a better option, because it highlights skills rather than experience. 
  • And for all the Ted Gibsons out there, who are truly legends in their field, the combination resume format would be the best way to present both skills and experience in a way that will lead to more meaningful job prospects.  

How to Write a Hair Stylist Resume Summary or Resume Objective

When putting your resume together, don’t underestimate the importance of a good resume summary or resume objective. This is the introduction to your resume, and in many cases, it can be the deciding factor that will or will not lead to an interview. 

If you write an engaging introduction that is specifically tailored to the job you’re applying for, chances are, you’ll grab the attention of your employer. This can also be done with a catchy resume headline.

Now, let’s look at the difference between a resume summary and a resume objective so you can decide what’s best for you. 

  • A resume summary highlights the key career achievements and is better suited for candidates with a lot of previous experience in the field. 
  • A resume objective, on the other hand, highlights a candidate’s skills, abilities, and competencies, and is more convenient for applicants who are new to the business but have some experience in similar a field – or relevant skills to do the job. 

Whichever you choose, remember to keep them as concise as possible, and no more than 4 sentences long. 

Hair Stylist Resume Objective Example

A resume objective is the more tricky one to write, for obvious reasons. In it, you’ll need to convince the employer that you have the right qualities for the job while making sure not to draw attention to your lack of experience.

Take a look at our good example of a hair stylist’s resume objective:

Right ✅

Extremely passionate hair stylist looking to utilize their affinity for hair care services to further develop hairdressing skills. Highly creative, fast learner that’s great at communicating with customers and adapting to various work environments.

Then, here is an example of what you should try to avoid:

Wrong ❌

I am a very passionate person with a lot of practice in hairdressing. Ever since I was a child, I loved doing people’s hair. Very early on, I taught myself how to cut, braid, and style different types of hair. I am looking for a position where I can put my skills to use, learn more, and develop as a hairstylist.  

Avoid over-explanatory sentences, and make use of content words while minimizing function words to convey your message more effectively. Instead of saying “I taught myself how to…” you can say “self-taught” and save yourself, and the reader some time.

How to Describe Your Hair Stylist Experience on Your Resume

Once you get your potential employer interested in your profile, the next thing to impress them with is your hair styling experience. 

Now if you have a lot of previous experience from multiple beauty salons, it would be best to pick a few more notable ones and only list those when updating your resume. On the other hand, if you’ve worked at only two or three places, start by listing them from your most recent job an then working backward.

To make your resume more relevant and easy on the eye make sure to:

💡top tip

After you finish listing all your key skills, don’t forget to include other information that may be relevant – do you speak two languages? Have you volunteered in the past? These are all great things employees should know about you! 

Hair Stylist Resume Examples: Experience

Here is an example of how your experience section should look like:

Right ✅

Hair Stylist 
Sweet Pixie Salon, Austin, Texas 
September 2018 — August 2023

  • Provided multiple hair care services to clients like cutting, styling, dyeing, straightening, perms, and blowouts
  • Had 98% positive customer reviews
  • Was awarded employee of the month 8 times by maintaining positive relations with colleagues and customers
  • Recommended and sold hair care products to customers, increasing income by 15%

And this is what it should not look like:

Wrong ❌

Hair Stylist 
Sweet Pixie Salon, Austin, Texas 
September 2018 — August 2023

  • I was responsible for cutting, styling, and dyeing people’s hair
  • I was very positive with all customers and my colleagues alike
  • I helped out with cleaning and organizing regularly

As you can see, the first example focuses on real tangible results that can be proven, rather than just saying “I’m a good hair stylist”. It is better to say that you have won employee of the month several times than to just speculate.  

At the same time, the second example lacks any powerful adjectives or action verbs and seems somewhat forced. It is never a good idea to appear dissatisfied with your previous workplaces because it makes candidates look unreliable.

How to Write the Education Section for a Hair Stylist

Most hair stylist recruiters won’t focus too much on the education section in your resume, since skill is more important than factual knowledge in the industry. But including formal and especially relevant education can do the trick for the employer.  

If you’ve completed a state-licensed cosmetology program, include that information first. Then, you can list your high school and university diploma if you have one. 

The information should follow this order:

  • Name of organization (university, school, program, etc.)
  • Year of completion 
  • Obtained degree

Apart from this basic information, you can also list some of your accomplishments and relevant coursework during your education that you think might backup your skills claims.

Hair Stylist Resume Education Section

Here is our example of a good education section:

Right ✅

Empire Beauty School
Pottsville, Pennsylvania, USA
2009— 2010

  • Head of the class for bookkeeping practices
  • Awarded the best hair stylist for hair extensions 

Strath Haven High School
Wallingford, PA, United States
2005 – 2009

  • Lead set and costume designer for the school theater group
  • Demonstrated high level of communication skills in English and Spanish class

And this is what your education section should not look like:

Wrong ❌

Education

  • I studied at the Empire Beauty School in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, where I obtained my cosmetology license in 2010. I graduated from high school in Strath Haven High School, Wallingford, Pennsylvania.

The first example is properly outlined and easy to read.

It gives the relevant information on top – the name, the location of the education facility, and all relevant dates. It also states the candidate’s educational accomplishments and communication skills that are relevant to the position. 

The second example is poorly constructed and is a mere statement of where the person attended school and the degree of education they obtained, without providing any additional insight.

The Best Hair Stylist Skills for a Resume

When applying for a hair stylist position, the skills section on your resume should truly shine. This is where you get to show what you have to offer and what makes you a stellar hairstyling professional. 

What skills do you put on a resume for a Hairdresser or Hair Stylist?

The first port of call is to look at what skills are listed in the job advertisement. List the skills that you have that match this job ad, and make sure you have some of these backed up with evidence in the experience section. Be specific about your skills and show off your core competencies.

Include both soft skills that resonate with your personality and character and hard skills to show your dedication and hard work.

Take a look at our recommendations for the best soft and hard skills for any hair stylist. 

Soft Skills

  • Communication
  • Interpersonal skills 
  • Creativity
  • Collaboration
  • Time Management
  • Critical Thinking
  • Scheduling

Hard Skills

  • Customer service
  • Cutting
  • Styling
  • Hair coloring
  • Hair extensions
  • Supply management
  • Recording information

How to Add Other Sections for an Effective Resume

After you finish listing all your key skills, don’t forget to include other information that may be relevant. Apart from your experience and education, there are plenty of things that might bode well on your resume. List them in the other section.

Here are some of the things that fall under this category:

  • Awards
  • Certificates
  • Conferences
  • Volunteer work
  • Languages
  • Hobbies 

Hair Stylist Resume Sample Extra Sections

The importance of filling the extra sections in your resume is to give your potential employer a glimpse into your character, your hobbies, and your achievements.  

A good extra section should look something like this:

Key Takeaway

A good hair stylist resume should be engaging, to the point, and filled with only the most relevant information. It should be easy to follow and fun to read.

To guide the creation of your resume, be sure to choose your best format, execute a job-specific objective or resume, and list targeted skills, education, experience, and other accomplishments. 

Feel free to resort to our guide or other modern templates for further assistance – we wish you the best of luck job-hunting!

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