What I've Learned From Esthetics Interviews

Okay, I will be the first to admit I've done my share of esthetician interviews...mainly because I am VERY Picky about where I work and what types of places I will work for.  I have done a lot of interviews, and I have completed trainings and then said "Nope, this isn't my type of spa" and I've turned down a lot of offers. I am not suggesting you do this, but for me I need to be at a place I feel happy at and I feel like the owner has a good, honest vibe (if you read my book Spa Divas: A Place to Hang My License on amazon.com you will understand why I am cautious). So I bring to you some things I've learned in my interviews.

(1) Most important is that you can speak well and that you are clean! You have to be professional, I am sorry you can't come in with dirty hair, chewing gum and talking Gansta.

(2) They want to know that you can SELL retail--how do you do this? You tell them that you don't sell retail you educate clients who then purchase retail products. Owners suck this one right up.

(3) They want to hear that esthetics is your passion, that you live and breathe esthetics. Some will ask you why you went into it.

(4) They want to know how you will handle difficult clients--try to give them an experience.

(5) Know many product lines--they love it if you know several lines because it means you can learn their line easily.

(7) Have marketing tips and ideas ready to spill out of your mouth--they want to hear how you will have grow the business and create new events and ideas to promote the business.

(8) You must be using a good product line yourself--they don't want to hear that you use Aveeno or another over-the-counter.

(9) They love to hear about your own skin issues, and how skin care treatments and products helped you.

(10) They want to see job security--if you left a job have a good reason. Husband transferred is a really good one; you went back to school to pursue more courses in your career; you wanted to try a different type of esthetics. You got to get a good one here or they will think you are a job hopper.

(11) Be able to give them a reference or two immediately. In most of my job interviews, even the ones I was offered, most don't ask for references but be prepared because some do.

(12) Make sure you have liability insurance--some will ask if you have coverage.

(13) Be flexible with your schedule and offer to do continuing education classes--that gets you bonus points that you are willing to be flexible and learn more.

(14) Be a team player--and give examples of you are a team player--specifics.

(15) Most importantly--smile and be friendly--don't get nervous and cut up in interview jitters--act like you are confident and in control.

(16) Some will ask you stupid questions--I kid you not, a doctor asked me "Where I expected to be in 26 years?" How random was that question?

Spa Party Business: Problems I've Run Into

Spa Party Problems

I dreamed about opening my own spa party business for a long time. While I worked as an esthetician I always knew in the back of my mind that I wanted to open a spa party business, but it took a long time to plan and tweak what I was going to do. When you dream the dream, it is hard to get past the blissfulness of the dream and deal with the realities of the business.  My realities of my business might not be yours, but they are some things that I thought I would share with you so you can avoid the same pitfalls. I don't want to scare estheticians away from spa party business at all, this is not meant to do that, it is just to give you an insider's look. I love doing spa parties, the few nuisances I encounter is well worth the creative-fun of doing these parties and the compensation. I love doing them! But to keep it real, let's dive in for the uglier side of the diva biz!

(1) People STEAL-Not very often, but it happens. I went to a party with eleven spa robes and came home with ten. Another time, I had games ready for kids and my bag of candies that I had were gone! I made an announcement that whoever might have inadvertently taken my candy please return it so I have prizes for the party--no luck. At the end of the party,  I saw a mom sucking a lollipop and all f her kids were too--pretty sure she is the one who got away with my lollipops!

(2) People ask if they can keep things from spa robes, to mirrors to nail polish. Yep. They think in their infinite wisdom that it might be business savvy to give away your supplies LOL.

(3) People will treat you, some, not all like you are the hired butler and expect that you pamper them.

(4) Then there are those dummies that you e-mail a confirmation letter to, speak with them on the phone and give them all the details and they still fail to understand your basic rules. I have a rule that only snacks can be served during my parties--they can serve meals and cake after the spa party portion--good reason for this (1) food will stain my robes and (2) some kids will eat and other kids will want to do spa stuff and I will end up being there for a much longer amount of time to make sure each kid has had an opportunity to do spa party stuff--Of course, I had one mom who not only served food when I was there, but her pizza guy was late and I had to wait. Now, I have a fee associated with breaking that rule--$25.00 WASTE MY TIME fee (not what I actually call it).

(5) Then I had an OCD type of mom who decided with her friend that they would host a spa party for their girls. I told the mother who did the contract that I bring table cloths and that you have to have an area with tables at least, but preferably with chairs to do the spa party portion. Enough for each child in attendance. Then I get there and the OCD mom says she doesn't want to use her furniture for party and she thought I was bringing tables and chairs. Apparently she thought this was a WEDDING and that I would supply tables and chairs. After that event, I made sure my website states clearly and BOLDLY that I do not provide table and chairs!

(6) Then their are the parents that think I am offering a full-service spa treatments at parties with 25 plus kids--I offer nail painting, team facials and hand sugar scrubs. Then towards end of party we wrap it up with games. I do manicures and pedicures. This is actually on my website but they still ask--I even have on my website and e-mail confirmations that my parties are strictly for entertainment purposes and do not include full facials or manicures/pedicures.

So is the business of dealing with the general public, but dealing with spa mamas is even crazier. With that said, most of the moms are very sweet and kind, it is just the food bad apples that make me CRAZY!

More Spa Party Pictures--Party Life is Never Boring

I have to say some of these spa customers keep me on my toes, both the little divas and bigger divas alike. If you are going to go into this business, go in with your eyes wide open, you have to be a PEOPLE person. You have to be able to deal with all types of personalities. This is very different from regular esthetics, you are only dealing with one customer at a time where here you have an entire room of customers all at ONCE!  In the spa party business, at least in my business I could be dealing with 30 girls and 30 moms all at once. My biggest parties are 35 kids with smallest being 8 kids. I deal with moms stealing my spa robes;unruly kids with parents that are oblivious to their bad behavior; I have to put up with kids demanding to win a prize for games they didn't win and I deal with moms who change their party package plans several times before the actual party. I refuse to kiss anyone's ass, but I do try to make all my participants happy, but it can be difficult. People's personalities are all different, and to do this business and to operate it well you have to juggle different personalities. You have to be willing to be flexible, you have to be willing to get creative and make changes to your business as necessary and deal with unforeseen problems at parties. I will do another blog for some spa party problems.

Marshmallow covered in dyed white chocolate with Tootsie Rolls--supposed to be nail polish bottles.

                                                     My Summer Nail Station

                                                      Mother's Day Decorations

                                                      Girls Team Facial Tables

                                                   Spa Frame that I made for girls/moms to take photos together at clubhouse event. I am purposely not included those pictures as I do not have an authorization from the parents to post on my blog, but you probably can get the idea. This was a huge hit, the girls and moms got their funky and crazy side on as they posed in our frame.