Mid-Life Career Changers: Making The Transition To Esthetics

Making the Change

A lot of my readers are mid-life career changers, some come to this point at no fault of their own with corporate downsizing and others land here because they've always dreamed of working in esthetics. No matter how you got here, you have arrived. You filled out the application for esthetics' school, bought your uniform and kit, books are in hand and you are ready to go except you are frozen with immense fear that you can't make this career transition.
This is completely normal, in fact, if you weren't a little scared about diving into a new career I would wonder if you had considered all the consequences. I think a lot of esthetician students wonder if this is the right career path, for many it is completely the wrong way to go, and for others it is absolutely the right career choice. I don't have academic statistics, but I guess that around 50% of esthetician students are in the wrong field for a variety of reasons: no passion; lack of professionalism and prior business experience; not willing to do continuing education; and inability to put customer service ahead of their own needs.
Now, we can talk about the other 50% of students who are in the right career path, and out of those 50% many of you are career changers. I love career changers. Why do I love career changers? Well, from my own experiences they know themselves better;  they know what they want and how to get it; they've been around the block career wise;  and they understand the business aspect of esthetics. Esthetics is so much more than the clinical side, you have to have a business sense to make it in this field. Sure, you can work for a variety of places that will do all the business stuff for you, but isn't the best way to launch a successful and lucrative business in esthetics. Career-changers tend to want to be in charge (in a good way), they are not going to let some overzealous spa owner take advantage of them, and they know how to professionalize (if that is a word lol) the industry. One of the things that I've noticed about this group of esthetician students is the fact they are willing to do more than esthetics school, while they are in school they are signing up for every additional class they can, and many do whatever it takes to  get industry experience ALL WHILE IN SCHOOL!

In a business that use to discriminate based on age, it seems like the tables are reversing and the older group of esthetics' graduates might have an advantage these days. This is especially true for the older esthetician who takes excellent care of her skin (or his)--it shows that you know a thing or two about skin care--clients want the secrets to the fountain of youth, and if your skin exemplifies healthy beauty at mid-life then clients perceive you as knowing the secret to youthful skin. There is certainly nothing wrong with younger estheticians, but older clients can identify with older estheticians who are at the age where your skin starts to reflect your real age. It is easier to appear youthful when you are young obviously than it is when you are older, but if you are older and appear youthful it gives the client confidence in you.