Don’t Get Stuck in Career You’re Not Satisfied With

Mother of three who made a career change and enrolled in Esthetician school now owns her own business!!

It’s never too late to pursue your dream career; just ask Jessica Johnson, mother of three who decided to make a career change to become and esthetician after years in the golf industry. Making such a big decision is tough and literally life changing. BeautySchools.com was fortunate enough to sit down with Jessica and learn about her journey to where she is now.

When did you become interested in esthetics and what inspired your decision to enroll in esthetician school?

It started when I saw an advertisement for face lifts and I hoped it was never necessary for me. I decided then and there that I wanted to take better care of my skin to prevent having to go to extremes in the future. I began going to an esthetician and it sparked an interest in ways to naturally rejuvenate my skin in order to keep it young and healthy.

However, it wasn’t until years later when one of my sons was suffering from severe acne and I saw how damaging it could be on one’s self esteem. I wanted to help others feel beautiful and confident. I was going through some life changes and realized it was a perfect time to pursue my passion and get started with my dream career in esthetics so I decided to enroll in esthetician school. I now know that this is what I was meant to do and I will stick with this career for a lifetime.

What would you suggest for students in beauty school to pay close attention to that helped you in becoming as successful as you are today?

Many students don’t realize the importance of the business courses that they take when they are in school. I was fortunate enough to have a solid business background before esthetics school which I definitely think helped me out in making my career successful. Student need to remember, in order to keep your clients coming back you need the whole package. You need to be good at what you do but you also need to realize that this industry is seen as a luxury. In hard times and economic change, going to an esthetician usually gets put on the back burner. You need to be able to keep your business going and still appeal to your clients while they are on a budget.

What is one thing that has stuck with you from esthetician school and how have you applied it to your career?

The one thing that really stuck with me was how harmful the sun is and how much sun damage affects your skin for years. We learned about several different types of skin diseases and how they are caused and treated. I was very surprised by the importance of sunscreen in your skin care routine. This got my interested in one of my specialties, Collagen Induction Therapy, a natural way to restore and rejuvenate the skin from sun damage. So many of my clients were or are sun worshipers and I cannot express to them enough how important it is to protect your skin from the damaging UVA and UVB rays.

What other training have you completed and why do you think it is important for your career to enroll in continuing education?

I think continuing education is imperative if you want to be successful in this field. It is always helpful to be knowledgeable when your clients ask about the new trends. My two specialties, eyelash extensions and Collagen Induction Therapy, were actually continued training outside of esthetics school. I think this really sets me apart as an esthetician, everyone learns how to do facials and peels but I am able to pull in clients by providing specialty treatments and I am able to retain them by keeping up with the trends and upcoming procedures.

I constantly want to challenge myself and improve my skill which keeps things interesting for me and relevant for my clients. When I started working at a medical spa, I worked closely with our doctor learning more about Collagen Induction Therapy. I went to conferences and trade shows, and I did all the research I could on the topic and now I am able to perform the procedure using a client’s own Platelet Rich Plasma.

When I heard about eyelash extensions, I knew it was something I wanted to provide for my clients. At the time, my school didn’t provide training for eyelash extensions so I had to go to a day-long training course that was provided by the manufacturing company of the lashes. After that it was practice, practice, practice! My instructor saw great potential in eyelash extensions and had her class observe me for a day. She then got her training and certification to teach it and it is now part of the esthetics program at the school.

If someone is thinking about making a career change to do something in the beauty industry, what advice would you give them in making this difficult decision?

I would say to make sure it is something they are really passionate about. Obviously, if you are thinking about changing careers you are not happy with what you are doing. Make sure to find something you love and have the desire to learn and grown in the field. I love the challenges that this industry brings me. From figuring out how to help a client with their skincare needs to learning how to do new procedures to enhancing the procedures I currently do, there is never a dull moment.

Many people don’t know what they want to do right when they get out of high school. I think being in the ‘working world’ helped me realize what I really wanted to be doing. I knew going into this that the beauty industry is hard to stand out and it would take a lot of time to build up my clientele. It was very discouraging at first and it sometimes makes you wonder if you made the right decision, but I worked hard and I have never been happier with my choice. I know that this is what I will be doing for the rest of my life.