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Makeup artists dedicate their knowledge and insight of makeup and prosthetics to enhance the image of models, actors and brides — among others seeking their services. The resume of a makeup artist should demonstrate the artist’s capability to come up with creative and innovative makeup masterpieces. If you are trying to learn how to perfectly create a resume that reflects not only your abilities in the makeup industry but also your lengthy work history, make sure to follow our step-by-step guide.
Check out more of our downloadable resume examples designed by career experts and use one of our free and premium resume templates today!
Makeup Artist Resume
In the makeup industry, you’ll want to make your resume stand out as much as your creations if you want to catch the eye of a recruiter.
These are the main elements you should to include in your resume:
Bright Dots
Circles
As you plan how to write your resume, here are a few things you’ll want to remember prior to starting:
A well-formatted resume can help you strike the right chord with recruiters and leave a good first impression.
Resume formats highlight your strengths while downplaying your weaknesses. Their implementation, however, will highly depend on your work history. The three resume format choices are chronological, functional and combination.
For a more in-depth look at all three formats you can use read our resume formats guide.
Chronological
Functional
Combination
Follow this step-by-step guide to craft an amazing resume which will impress recruiters.
1. Decide on the best opening paragraph.
Your opening statement is like your resume's introduction. It should be a strong and confident presentation of your skills, background and intention for joining a company. Your choice of openers are either a career objective or a summary statement, depending on your experience level.
The summary statement is a great choice for makeup artists as it emphasizes your abilities as well as your background while explaining how you can put these skills to use in service of your potential employer.
If you are an entry-level professional, a freelancer or switching jobs, however, consider using a career objective which highlights key skills and your willingness to grow in the position.
These are two examples of a poorly crafted objective and a well-written one, respectively:
Poor example:
“Experienced MUA. Has strong knowledge of makeup techniques and is committed to professional excellence. Proficient in bridal makeup. Looking forward to joining your firm to learn more about experimental makeup.”
You should try to avoid framing career objectives like this one. The candidate's skills are barely mentioned and the experience is also vaguely described, leaving hiring managers with little information to determine their aptitude for the position.
Good example:
“Certified makeup artist (MUA) with experience in makeup application. Well-versed in different makeup techniques as well as conducting extensive research on emerging makeup techniques and trends. Trained in different facial and hair color treatments. Seeking a position in a challenging setting where I can continue to develop my skills.”
This example is better as it presents a clear statement of what the applicant hopes to achieve, what they intend to contribute to the position and gives a small glimpse of their skills and experience in the industry.
Here are a few more pointers to keep in mind when writing a career objective or [professional summary:
If you’re opting for a professional summary instead of a career objective, take a look at this summary statement example:
“Creative and enthusiastic certified makeup artist with five years of industry experience. Demonstrated track record of customer satisfaction and extensive product knowledge. Excellent multitasker who thrives under pressure. Possesses a working knowledge of hair color techniques and is familiar with industry standards for makeup. Knowledgeable of over 30 makeup brands and their associated products. Excellent inventory management skills.”
2. Give prominence to your skills.
Relevant skills are important to add in a resume as it is what recruiters read to determine if you are capable of undertaking the tasks at hand in any position. Devote a section of your resume to skills you have not written on other sections.
Your skills section depends on the resume format you utilize. While chronological and combination resumes list six to eight skills in their section, functional resumes list three to four skills followed by bullet points explaining your proficiency in them.
This is an example of a functional resume skills section entry:
Skills
Creative Skills
You’ll also want to add a balanced mix of soft, hard and technical skills in this section:
Your soft skills show your ability to interact and communicate with co-workers and clients. These are your skills that govern how you operate in a social setting and how you perform your work. The following soft skills can benefit a makeup artist:
A hard skill is a set of abilities gained through formal education, employment, training or experience. Valuable hard skills for a makeup artist are:
Technical skills help you perform professional work using specific software, technologies and tools. Specifically, it involves a candidate's ability to understand and utilize digital tools and procedures to achieve a specific goal. As a makeup artist, you may find the following technical skills helpful:
Learn more about makeup artist skills with our Resume Builder. Create a resume in a blink of an eye using our resume-builder tool, which allows you to choose from prewritten content and suggested skills.
The work history section showcases your current and previous positions relevant to the role of a makeup artist. It should be organized from most recent to oldest in reverse-chronological order and include job title, the organization's name, its location and the dates of employment. You should also add three to four bullets after each entry describing achievements and tasks in the position.
Here are a few examples of work history sections:
Poor example:
Work History
This example is considered a poor one as it is challenging to evaluate the candidate's value and ability based on the vague description of their tasks and skills.
Good example:
Work History
This example better displays the candidate’s tasks and includes numbers to further increase their chances of receiving a callback.
Here are some tips for making your work history section more engaging:
In addition to your skills and experience, recruiters look at your academic background to determine if you possess the minimum qualifications for a position. Make sure to include the names of all professional degrees you have earned, especially if they are related to a makeup artist’s position.
Include the graduation date, the institution's name and the city and state for each entry. You may omit the graduation date if you only have a high school diploma or GED. A high school diploma, an associate's degree or a certificate program in cosmetology is often enough to qualify for a makeup artist’s role.
For those interested in seeking more professional education for the role of makeup artist, you can consider the following courses:
Adding additional certificates relevant to the field you are applying to will add more weight to your resume. If you have any other certificates or licenses, you can create a custom section on your resume to incorporate them.
Some great certificates for a makeup artist are:
Makeup Artistry Basic to Masterclass, Online Makeup Course
Give your career a head start with this all-rounder course that teaches you how to prepare and prime the perfect base, match foundations, color theory and determine face shapes accurately while highlighting and contouring.
Diploma in Luxury Facial, Facial Machines, Chemical Peeling
A course approved by The Continuing Professional Development Accreditation Group (CPD), this course will teach you the intricacies and techniques of providing luxurious facials to your clients.
This cosmetology course will prepare students with adequate knowledge to join the cosmetology industry through hands-on practice, instructional training and business skills.
This certification course will train you in the art of special effects makeup for those interested in working for the film and TV industry. The course includes a Special Effects Makeup Kit for you to follow along with the course instruction.
Lastly, do not omit your contact information. Include the following in your contact information:
These free downloadable makeup artist resume templates are user-friendly and can be customized using any word processor. Change the sample content to what you need, and then format it accordingly.
Production houses and individuals employ makeup artists for different reasons. In addition to hiring makeup artists for bridal makeup, some are hired for prosthetics on big cinema projects. Each makeup artist has a different skill set depending on the role. Nevertheless, every makeup artist must possess the following three skills:
For your makeup artist resume to stand out, you have to demonstrate both your ability to perform creatively and your ability to learn and adapt to the latest trends. You can also cement your standing as a suitable candidate by developing a keen sense of time management, a calm disposition and a strong eye for detail. Creating an online portfolio to showcase your work, whether on a website or social media page, is the best way to get your talent noticed and find potential customers in need of your services.
A summary statement showcasing experience and creative competence can be helpful for an experienced makeup artist.
Here is an example of a good summary statement for a makeup artist:
“A highly experienced makeup artist with a proven track record for providing exceptional customer service and client satisfaction. Capable of identifying a client's skin tone and makeup needs and making recommendations accordingly. Establishes a preliminary meeting with individuals to determine allergies, medical histories and preferences.”
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