Cosmetology Instructor

Summary: If you have been working for quite some time as a licensed cosmetologist in salons, spas, and beauty centers and you want advancement, a career as an instructor could be the way for you to go in this field. Find out what you need to do to become a cosmetology instructor.

Are you an experienced cosmetologist or someone who wants to advance in this field?

Becoming a cosmetology instructor is one way to go if you want promotion and increased salary in the arena of personal beautification. With more and more people becoming aware that personal appearance can be enhanced in many ways, cosmetology is here to stay and professions in line with training salon attendants to meet the demand for beauty services will always be in demand.

Cosmetology Instructor Qualifications

What qualifications does one need to become a cosmetology instructor? The most major is a license that is issued by the state where you intend to teach. Before getting the license, you must pass an instructor license exam. Prospective instructors prepare for this exam by enrolling in a teaching certificate program. Such courses train licensed cosmetologists how to become effective teachers. They include topics on how to prepare lesson plans, deliver lessons in an effective manner, supervise students, and measure and monitor students’ progress. These programs require prospective instructors to have hands-on training on teaching. In order to graduate in the program, students are required to log in a certain number of hours of actual teaching practice.

Other Requirements to Enrol in an Instructor Course

How about the practical side of cosmetology? It is taken cared of by the requirements when enrolling for an instructor’s training program. To enrol in the course, applicants are required to:

• have a license in cosmetology. A basic cosmetology license ensures that students will have received instruction on the scientific and artistic principles of cosmetology as well as experienced how to apply the practical knowledge they have learned. A student will have to earn hundreds of "contact" hours to graduate in cosmetology courses. Some of these contact hours are gained by higher level students who perform haircuts, pedicures, and facials under the supervision of licensed cosmetologists. A cosmetology course could last 9 months.
• have experience in the practical application of cosmetology techniques (a minimum number of work experience may be required) as hairstylist, colorist, nail technician in salons, spas, and beauty centers

State requirements vary, but these, and a high school education, are the most basic and most common. You can get instructor training from cosmetology schools. To locate top cosmetology schools near you, where you might enrol online and on campus.

If you have an instructors’ license, you can teach in vocational schools or public or private cosmetology institutions, or technical schools. The salary will vary by state and length of experience.