The Role of Continuing Education in Your Cosmetology Career

Continuing education in cosmetology is essential for many reasons. First, it ensures that cosmetologists stay current in an industry constantly changing with new products, trends, and regulations.

Cosmetologists also need continuing education for professional development. Education helps cosmetologists refine their skills, gain new ones, and expand their knowledge.

Ultimately, continuing education impacts career growth and opportunities. Cosmetologists who expand their skills through continuing education remain competitive, tend to take on more opportunities, and earn more over time.

What is Continuing Education?

Continuing education provides post-secondary learning options, such as post-secondary degrees, online courses, and professional certifications. It is a structured approach that involves ongoing activities to expand knowledge and skills. Continuing education may include degree credit courses, workshops, non-degree credit training, and more.

In cosmetology, continuing education allows cosmetologists to improve their skills, learn new techniques, and stay competitive. Here are a few types of learning opportunities:

Types of Continuing Education

• Workshops and seminars: Workshops focus on skill development and practical learning. They are typically interactive and involve hands-on activities. Seminars provide knowledge and information through formal lectures, discussions, and debates.
• Online courses and certifications: These are learning programs held in an online environment to help individuals learn a skill or obtain a degree.
• Industry conferences and trade shows: Industry conferences focus on education and professional development while trade shows focus on product launches, educational seminars, and workshops.

Benefits of Continuing Education in Cosmetology

Investing in continuing education offers many benefits to cosmetologists. Some benefits include:

Staying Updated with Trends

Continuing education helps cosmetologists learn about new trends, techniques, products, and tools in the beauty industry. Learning new trends is essential because it helps you stay ahead of the curve and remain marketable.

It also ensures that cosmetologists can continue to meet client expectations. Continuing education also ensures that you remain up to date on new laws and regulations to ensure compliance.

Enhancing Skills and Techniques

As a cosmetologist, it’s essential to enhance your skills and techniques. By doing so, you remain competitive, build a positive reputation, and able to meet client demands. If you have areas where you feel you are weak, continuing education can help you strengthen those areas. This not only boosts confidence but strengthens your cosmetology profile.

Networking Opportunities

Another excellent reason to invest in continuing education is the ability to build connections with other industry professionals. Building connections with other professionals is important because it enables you to build lasting relationships that can benefit you in the near future or later in your career.

Engaging in networking opportunities boosts confidence in cosmetologists, improves communication, increases partnerships, and leads to more business opportunities and clientele.

Career Advancement

Continuing education enables you to learn new skills and knowledge, making you more employable and have more opportunities for career advancement. 

In particular, many cosmetologists attain promotions upon completing their degree or certification. Additionally, continuing education allows cosmetologists to take on specialized roles as they gain experience and skills. As a result, cosmetologists can tap into higher incomes.

How to Pursue Continuing Education

Pursuing continuing education leads to many great opportunities for cosmetologists. Here is how to pursue continuing education:

Identifying Learning Opportunities

When it comes to continuing education, there are many learning opportunities available. The first thing is to identify the various learning opportunities and decide which opportunities work best for you. 

You can start by researching local and online opportunities. You’ll likely find many local learning opportunities — large and small. If you benefit from more interactive learning, local opportunities may offer you the best experience. On the other hand, if you’re interested in a flexible learning environment and lower costs, online learning may be the best option.

Cosmetologists can also check with professional organizations to increase their knowledge. For instance, the Professional Beauty Association (PBA) offers scholarships, student programs, and more to help cosmetologists unite with others in the industry and continue to grow and learn.

The American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS) offers professional development and education opportunities, such as webinars, virtual workshops, seminars, and more. AACS specializes in providing members with the newest teachings, legislative matters, and the latest trends.

Balancing Education with Work

Balancing education with work can be a challenge for a busy cosmetologist. Here are a few tips to help you manage time effectively:

• Time management: Getting an education and working full-time can be time-consuming. To balance education and work, build a study schedule around your work and commit to it. Prioritize tasks from most to least urgent to ensure you are meeting your goals.
• Get organized: Organization is key to balancing. It’s best to utilize tools, such as calendars, planners, and sticky notes to organize tasks.
• Don’t procrastinate: If you’re busy with clients, you might feel more prone to procrastination. However, it’s best to get any coursework finished as soon as possible to avoid lower grades.
• Communicate with your employer: Your employer ultimately wants you to excel. Consider asking for a more flexible work schedule to accommodate your education or reducing your hours.
• Practice self-care: Balancing education with work is essential. To avoid burnout, incorporate self-care into your schedule to ensure you have time to unwind between work and your courses.

Propel Your Cosmetology Career

Investing in your education is one of the best things you can do as a cosmetologist. Advanced education leads to more specialized roles, higher pay, increased confidence, and client satisfaction.

There are many ways you can continue your education. For instance,  look at any schools offering continuing education for cosmetologists. There are also plenty of opportunities to advance your education online. Consider connecting with any professional organizations that offer continuing education as well. 

If you’ve been thinking about enhancing your cosmetology career, now is the time. Taking your education to the next level opens up so many more possibilities as you continue to explore your career.

At Moored Beauty Schools, our mission is to help you discover and pursue a career in the beauty industry. If you’re a cosmetologist looking to take continuing education courses, we offer comprehensive courses to take your career to the next level. Contact us today to learn more.