Student Star: New Website Connects Empire Student with Local Salon
Every student dreams of reaching their career goals. Sometimes those dreams come with a side of anxiety, particularly for students approaching graduation.
For Empire Beauty School student Kassondra Rodriguez, the situation was no different.
As her time at Empire Beauty School in Pottsville, PA neared its end, “my educators saw I was a little worried about getting a job.” says Rodriguez. “They introduced me to Empire’s new website, www.BeautyCareer.com and helped me get a profile started.”
BeautyCareer.com is a new, online career tool for Empire students and alumni as well as salon owners and managers. This innovative, new website allows students and alumni to create a resume, cover letter, and online portfolio. They can then apply for open positions posted by local salons.
Salons can post career opportunities, browse through stylist resumes and connect with students and alumni who fit their business.
For Kassondra, it wasn’t long before she received a message from local salon, Trina’s Tresses. “They knew about me before I went in for the interview. They had already viewed my resume and portfolio. It made the whole process a lot less stressful.”
Today, Kassondra is a stylist and nail tech at Trina’s Tresses. She continues to keep her BeautyCareer.com profile updated and she encourages all students to do the same.
“An employer will want to see your work, pictures and portfolio anyway. With BeautyCareer.com, all of that is on the website for them to see.”
For Kassondra, who grew up around family and friends who are hairstylists, deciding on her career was the easy part.
“I just like making people feel good. They leave the salon in a great mood and that makes my day.”
But despite her confidence, she found the extra support BeautyCareer.com gave in terms of career placement, helpful.
“At school, the educators were always helping us build our resumes and keep them updated.”
And keeping her portfolio updated had other benefits too. “When I was still in pre-salon I would always update my profile with new pictures. Not only could employers see what I improved in, but I could see the changes in my work too. It really helped build my confidence in my skills.”
Like many stylists, Kassondra hopes to one day own her own salon. She says she sees the value for both students and employers BeautyCareer.com has to offer. Until she’s ready to branch out on her own, she plans to keep her online presence as up to date and professional as possible.