How a Career in Beauty Therapy or Hairdressing in New Zealand Can Fit Every Lifestyle

If you love makeup artistry and all things beauty, beauty therapy as a profession may be the perfect way for you to turn your passion into a career, and allows a variety of work options to suit everybody.

Working in the beauty industry can be incredibly rewarding, and allows you to make people feel special every single day. There are many fields of beauty and hairdressing across New Zealand, and beauty therapist courses or hairdressing courses can give you a qualification that allows you to travel and work all over the world. Many hairdressing salons or beauty stores require a specific qualification. For a list of beauty therapy courses in New Zealand, take a look here.

Beauty therapy refers to all of the treatments that are available in regards to improving or changing appearances on a superficial level. This includes:

Beauty therapy in New Zealand has a strong job outlook, as, according to the New Zealand government, the number of both men and women purchasing beauty treatments regularly increasing. Hairdressing is tough to get into for people who are new to the industry, but for those already in the beauty or hair care industry job prospects are much better.

Depending on which area of beauty you want to work or specialise in, there are a number of different fields of beauty employment that may interest you.

Working in a spa or a health club is a popular option for a number of reasons. Firstly, generally, beauty treatments in day spas tend towards the more luxurious, which as a beauty therapist, can be really enjoyable, as you get to use the best quality products (And sometimes get to take samples home for free!) Beauty therapy jobs at a spa also have more job security than some other options, as generally you’re employed through the spa itself, meaning you’re paid a wage rather than by client, and aren’t necessarily expected to bring in your own clients. Health clubs operate in a similar way, offering high job security, but both spas and health clubs allow little in the way of creativity and ingenuity. This is a popular option for those who want to be able to leave work at work, and for those who want to work in relaxation massage or nail technicians.

There are a number of benefits to working in a popular beauty salon franchise or getting a job at a hairdressing franchise. Firstly, the work is often able to be completed with a lower standard of training, such as a Certificate in Beauty Therapy, although this does differ from franchise to franchise. However, working in a franchise can give you greater flexibility as hours can be controlled by how much and when you want to work, and also gives you the opportunity to work for a well known name, such as Mecca, helping you build on and improve the skills you learnt in a beauty therapy course, or through home learning and experience. This is a popular option for beauticians and nail technicians in New Zealand, or for hairdressers who are just starting out.

If you work in a private beauty or hairdressing salon there are a few different options. Firstly, you can choose to “rent a chair”. This means that the building is owned by someone else and you pay rent to use their premises. This can be an expensive option, as you usually still need to buy your own products as well as paying to use the space, but it means that you have complete control over what hours you work (Within reason. Most places will require the building is closed between certain hours e.g. 10pm and 8am) This makes it a perfect option for if you have your own clients and need to set your own hours around other commitments. This is a particularly popular option for hairdressers.

Alternatively, you can work in a salon that’s privately owned. This option gives a huge amount of flexibility as it’s up to you and the salon owner to negotiate the terms of your employment. They may want you to bring your own beauty or hairdressing clients, or they may have too many clients and need you to help them handle their workload. This option also allows the owner to use their own discretion in regards to your level of study – day spas and some franchises require you to have anything up to a diploma in beauty therapy or a diploma in hairdressing, but working through a private salon may allow you to complete a beauty therapy apprenticeship, hairdressing apprenticeship or traineeship.

Working in the beauty or hair care industry offers a variety of options in terms of employment options that can suit everyone. Beauty therapy jobs and hairdressing jobs can both give you flexibility or stability, creativity or specific guidelines. Regardless of the kind of work you’re looking for, you can take your passion for doing makeup or hair and turn it into a valuable life long career.

Discover 5 key things about working in this fast-paced industry that can help set you on the path to success.