I recently decided (well, more like my credit card debts decided for me!!) that I need to get a second job working part-time on top of my regular Mon-Fri office job. So I figured, if I have to work 7 days a week, I should at least have some fun with makeup, right?!

Anyway, I've never worked at a makeup counter before so I need some tips! I have worked in retail though. My biggest challenge is updating and tailoring my resume to this sort of job. I think that I am confident enough in my experience with makeup and makeup application, and I'm confident I can sell them on my retail skills, but it's putting these down on a resume that is the hard part. Because I've never worked @ a counter, what are some common terminology that employers are looking for? How can I translate my retail (selling clothing) and office skills into the cosmetics/beauty consulting field?

I welcome any and all tips you guys can offer... from getting my foot in the door and the job hunt itself, expected skills/responsibilities, interviewing, etc. ANYTHING that will help get me in the right direction! Thanks in advance for your help!!

Oh, if it makes a difference, I would like to apply to the following counters: Clinique, Shiseido, Cargo, Benefit, Estee Lauder.

Thanks!

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Hi jeanna I got your pm... anyways.. the most important thing is having some retail/sales experience. They just want to know that you're good at customer service.

I would apply for the busiest counters, you have more opportunity to make money. I'd go for clinique or EL. Cargo would be fun but it's dead and I doubt you'd get many hours.

For your resume, as long as it is professional it is good. Try to get friendly with the person who is doing the hiring. Make it known you have a passion for makeup.

These counters are at The Bay, so I wouldn't even be handing my resumes to the actual people at the counters, I would have to submit through The Bay's HR office. Or can I submit the resumes at the counter? I was told by The Bay to go through HR.

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yea u usually have to go through the hr office but u can also go to the a counterand ask 4 their business manager or counter manager to see if they are hiring.

I agree with karlanyc, I never trust HR to forward my app to who I want it to go to. I always make sure to either hand it directly to the manager or send it in a professional envelope large enough so that I don't have to fold it addressed to the manager.
Remember that you need a professional looking resume, high quality paper, typeface should be in times new roman or courier and typeface should be at least 12 point. Try not to exceed 1 page and at the bottom you could put something like: referenced available upon request

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|Jessica|
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"Sometimes that's a shocking thing because when you peel back the skin, sometimes you find that what you see is not always the person you originally hoped or thought you were." Trent Reznor

oh.. yeah the bay you have to give it to the HR office. the counter ppl dont have a say in hiring.

Really?? Well, that really sucks. Kinda hard, well more like impossible, to make an impression when you can only drop off your resume in a mail slot.... Hey, does that go for the MAC counters at The Bay then as well? The Bay chooses who works at MAC, and NOT the MAC managers?

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With cosmetics lines, both the Account Executive for the line and the store management have a say. Usually you're interviewed by the store first, and if they think you might work out they will hand you on to the AE.

If you go for any counter owned by Estee Lauder, make sure that you mention that you are good at up-selling, add-ons, etc. In your past retail jobs, were you required to meet sales quotas? If so, throw in that you consitantly met you goals therefore making a substantial contribution to the company's/department's revenue or something fancy like that.

Customer service experience? Holla! ( I just wanted to use that word.)

Makeup counters are there to sell makeup, and while having the ability to apply a great face, you have to be able to move products, be patient and very tolerant. It's a great job but hard work-from time to time people will abuse you, lol.

When you get to the makeup part of the interview process...blend, blend, blend!

I have seen many people get hired with little to no experience, if you are comfortable with applying MU and are a good salesperson, you should have a nice chance!

Ok Gals, so I finally finished my resume and coverletter. One final question (you guys have been SO VERY helpful!!):

I've been told more than once to keep the resume to one page, so I didn't put all of my work experience there, I only put the ones that I thought were relevant to the job. I didn't put anything about my FT day job, working at a boring 'ol insurance office (zzzzz...), since I didn't think it was relevant. If I do that, it'll go over a page and will they even care??

Thanks guys!

(Seriously, if I get this job, I would SO return the favour to any other aspiring MA's out there *pinkie swear!*)

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From what I understand it is best to keep it under a page. Best of luck; they're going to love you!

Here's one thing to think about- Did you list the dates you were employed by the specific companies? If you have only listed jobs that were revelant, are there any gaps? They may ask what you did during the gaps. The insurance company may actually be revelant...you probably dealt with upset people, that's a good example of customer service. Women get very emotional about their makeup.

It is best to keep it one page though-just be prepared for that question.

ms.marymac: good point! there is a pretty noticeable gap... thanks!

alright guys, thanks so much for your input! you've all been such a huge help! if you need the favour returned, don't hesitate to ask!

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I strongly disagree with the one-page limit for your resume. As you gain experience in your chosen profession(s), it would be totally unrealistic to expect that you can list all your qualifications/experience on a single page.

The norm is two pages, except for people in academia, physicians, etc., where I have seen up to 90 pages (not a typo) if they include their publications.

I agree with you! Even after multiple edits, trying to keep only relevant experience and using shorter, more concise sentences/phrases, I was still going over a page. The only way I would have made it all fit is if I used a 9pt. font but that's more of a resume "no-no" than going over a page.

So I came up with a compromise: I split up my professional experience into 2 categories: Relevant Professional Experience and Other Professional Experience. The relevant experience fits nicely on the first page and the office stuff is continued to the next page, with my education section. Otherwise, there would have been large gaps in my employment history. Or, if I had put all my jobs in chronological order, my office jobs would have been first and I didn't want to risk HR thinking that they were wasting their time reading my office experience and not even getting to the relevant stuff. All in all, it came out to like 1 1/2 pages.

We'll see how it goes... *fingers & toes crossed*

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omg! i totally know how you feel.
i work 9-5 everyday at a boring office job and i needed more money so i applied to nordstroms. i put that i wanted to work in the cosmetics department and ended up talking to some managers. a few days later, they called me and said i was hired. i have training next week and that's when i know what counter i'll be working at.

oh yeah, i did it through HR.

Congrats!! Which Nordstrom will you be working at? Did they hint to any brands you might be working for?

Are you quitting the office job, or working @ Nordstrom only part-time?