Hi, I am not an esthetician but I work as a spa coordinator/receptionist at a 4-star spa in a luxury hotel (think $250 for an 80-min facial). I've worked at a couple of spas before that; one was an established day spa out in the suburbs, while the other was a brand-new wellness center that offered spa services. Here's what I've noticed:
It seems the more you know, the more bookings you will be able to get, and the more valuable to your employer you will be. Most of the time, I am booking more massages than facials or body wraps. However, at my work, the people who get the most appointments tend to dual therapists--people who are licensed massage therapists and estheticians. At one of the spas I worked, one therapist knew how to do nails, facials, waxing, and massage. She mostly did massage, but when the spa was really slow, her book would be full, and the manager would call everyone else off. The esthetics course will give you the foundation, but if you are able to find a good spa that does a variety of treatments, they will teach you their treatments and you would be able to add it to your resume. Most of the massage therapists at the spa I work can do body wraps, scrubs, Chakra Balancing, and some Ayurvedic treatments.
The economy now isn't so good for the spa industry. The hours you work may vary. Some spas pay you a fixed hourly rate, while others are commissioned-based (30-50% depending on experience and the type of spa). Other places put you on call, so you don't come in unless you get booked. Some places pay you commission plus an hourly rate (like $8/hour) for times when you don't have appointments during your shift. Just be prepared for weekends, when it's crazy busy and then Tuesdays and Wednesdays, where you may only have 1-3 appointments, or none at all.
My spa used to offer commission (from services and retail), plus 16% automatic gratuity, an hourly retainer rate, and a good benefits plan for full-time employees. However, the spa hasn't been doing well of late, so the hotel got rid of the retainer rate and the benefits. Most therapists I know have to pay out of pocket for insurance and benefits.
If you are a good waxer, people will come back to you. Being an efficient and thorough waxer means that you can make a lot of money in under a few hours. I know of one esthetician who wouldn't wax legs. But a full leg wax oftentimes costs up to $70 in the DC area. She is missing out on the opportunity to make good money. Whereas another esthetician I know loves to wax, and on a good day she can make $300-400. Clients are very devoted to a good waxer, and you can get a lot of clients via word of mouth. Women and men are very particular in who they trust their brows, and you can develop a loyal following if you are good at Brazilian.
The environment in a spa can be catty. Especially now with the economy being what it is, sometimes there is squabbling over appointments. I have to be careful about not leaving my login up because you never know if a therapist will walk by and move an appointment over to her book. Sometimes a therapist would get upset if another person has more appointments, or they sold something but it got credited to someone else, etc.
If you are really hardworking, motivated, relatively drama-free, and are a team player, then you'll do well in a spa. The ones who don't last long are the whiners, people who have poor attitudes, don't clean after themselves, and refuse to do laundry (LOL). It really is supposed to be a team environment. Some therapists feel entitled because they feel that since they're giving the service, they're the ones bringing the clients in. But a person like me is booking the appointments and asking clients questions about their needs. Always be nice to the receptionist. I always try to book fairly but in the end, I control the appointment book.
As far as reputable schools go, I would just get in touch with the spas in your area and ask them what schools they prefer to hire from. Most schools have 600+ hour courses. Another good way to get your feet wet is to work the front desk like me. In the DC area this position is usually $8-10/hour, no benefits. The rate is more if you work in a hotel spa. The best part about working for a hotel is the benefits are great and you get paid weekly. The bad part is that the hotel is open 7 days a week, no holidays off, and the guests are usually fussier. I've thought about going into esthetics or massage therapy but ever since I started working in a spa, I now have a better idea of the inner workings of one and what the industry is like as a whole
