If you’re an esthetician, you’re used to touching people on the face. But if you need a job, you may need to touch someone in the heart. This is where an esthetician cover letter comes in, and in this guide we’ll explore how to prepare one correctly to maximize your chances of getting a job.
The first thing everyone agrees on about estheticians, also known as aestheticians, is that nobody can agree on how to spell the word. But if you’ve ever done a chemical peel, laser procedure or body waxing, you’ve come to the right place for resume help. Resume.io’s job search resources include more than 180 occupation-specific writing guides with corresponding cover letter examples.
This guide and cover letter example for estheticians will cover:
Estheticians provide all kinds of skin treatments, including facials, peels, masks, scrubs and laser treatments. They also remove unwanted hair using wax or other methods. They may provide full-body treatments and/or head and neck massages, and they advise clients on the best products to use to care for their skin.
Estheticians usually work in beauty spas and salons, although some work in doctors’ offices, and some work in medical spas, where both standard spa services and medical procedures like Botox injections are available.
Where estheticians work
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which classifies estheticians as “skincare specialists,” most work in these sectors:
In the United States, estheticians made a median hourly wage of $17.55 in May 2020, according to the BLS.
According to data collected by Glassdoor, estheticians earn an average base pay of $38,131 a year.
The BLS offers this breakdown of median hourly wages in 2020 for skin care specialists, depending on where they work:
The job outlook for estheticians and other skin care specialists is gangbusters — the BLS projects employment growth of an astonishing 29% from 2020 through 2030, compared to an average job growth of 8% for all occupations.
So the jobs are out there! Now let’s figure out how to get yours.
For more ideas and inspiration, check out these other writing guides and cover letter examples in the beauty and wellness category:
Estheticians looking for employment need a cover letter for the simple reason that it's an essential part of any job application. Sending a resume only can be a fatal error — many applications are rejected for this reason alone, because no cover letter was included.
You are asking for a job, right? So you have to ask. You need to initiate a conversation with a hiring manager stating your interest in a job, laying out your qualifications and setting the stage to discuss the matter further.
If you don’t include a cover letter, the recruiter will wonder why not. Is it because you’re not a good writer? Is it because this job isn’t very important to you? Is it because it’s faster to just send out 50 resumes and hope for the best? You don’t want a recruiter to be asking any of these questions. And even if none of these questions are in their mind, consider this point: How much more effective is a job application with a personal touch, compared to one that is just a faceless bullet-point list — a resume?
In almost all cases, a cover letter should be a one-page document, a maximum of 400 words. It should follow the well-defined cover letter format outlined below:
Below is an esthetician cover letter example to illustrate that framework.
Having practiced as a Florida state-licenced esthetician at two wellness retreats for the past seven years, I would relish the role as senior esthetician at the spa in your new leisure complex. It would offer a chance to bring my skill and my current client base to your state-of-the-art facilities.
At both Pinewell Spa and The Ridgeway, I was responsible for a full range of cosmetic treatments, including: laser procedures, cosmetic applications, waxing, chemical peels, microdermabrasion and a variety of facial treatments. I maintained a warm and personal manner when discussing treatment plans with each individual client, ensuring a strict adherence to esthetics policies.
Over the years I have developed a loyal (and local) customer base, with 60% of clients returning after the first course of treatments. Nearly half my clients followed me to my second role when I left my first employer, and I expect a similar percentage to come with me to my next employer. I know that your sales and marketing operation is very slick, but word of mouth from genuine clients is always powerful.
I enjoy working on a team of dedicated estheticians, and I have been heavily involved in training and developing less experienced colleagues. At Ridgeway, my training programs with 14 colleagues resulted in a 37% uptick in customer satisfaction. There will always be those who are not satisfied with the treatment, but if your technical skill is at the highest possible level, these numbers will be minimized.
In terms of product lines, I have used every major brand on the market and have a subtle appreciation of the benefits in every circumstance. I regularly visit skincare events and keep updated with the latest product developments.
I would love to have the opportunity to come into your spa for an interview to show off my skills and maybe a couple of trial treatments.
Sincerely,
Barbara Anderson
Now let’s explore what each of these cover letter elements should contain, as well as best practices for writing them.
Once known as a letterhead, this is the attractively designed space at the top of the letter that provides your name, occupation, address, phone and email. The main reason for this is obvious: You want an employer to know how to contact you.
A second reason is that a header provides an attractive design element on the page. It may use more distinctive typography, different font sizes, a thoughtful design and perhaps a splash of color. It should make your letter look both more attractive and more professional.
Review some of the cover letter templates offered by resume.io, and you’ll see several examples of how a header can be formatted. Find one you like, click to download it, replace the existing text with your own info, and the header for your cover letter will be done.
Give your resume and cover letter a matching style
Your resume and cover letter should look like they were designed and formatted as a matching set, designed to go together. That means you want to use the same fonts, font sizes, formatting styles and colors, and the header should be similar if not identical.
If a recruiter prints out 10 resumes and cover letters and then drops them on the floor, getting them all mixed up, it should be easy for that person to match up your resume and cover letter again because they were consciously designed to have the same look and feel. Using matching styles gives you a “visual brand” and shows that you pay attention to detail and understand the importance of coherent design.
On the other hand, if you use a riot of different styles, fonts and colors in your resume and cover letter, recruiters are likely to think that you’re a bit scatter-brained. They also might guess that you’re sending a new cover letter with an old resume that you haven’t bothered to update.
Goal of the cover letter header: Distinguish yourself from other esthetician candidates in the way your identity and contact information are displayed attractively and professionally.
“Dear Mr. Jones,” “Dear Ms. Smith” and “Dear Dr. Anderson” are all examples of proper cover letter greetings, also known as salutations.
Some writers, thinking the “Dear” a bit old-fashioned, experiment with newer and more casual greetings, such as “Greetings Mr. Jones” or “Hello Ms. Smith.” This may be acceptable, depending on the culture of the company. When deciding this, consider how formal or informal the business looks/feels, how high-end is it and how long the chain of decision-making. In a super-serious and high-end company a more formal or traditional greeting may be better. In a small to medium business, a more relaxed greeting style might be fine.
If you happen to know the person you’re writing to, there’s nothing wrong with using a first name instead of a last name. But always beware of being too casual in a letter where you’re asking for a job.
Try to address your letter to an individual by name
Always strive to address the recipient of your letter by name. This often doesn’t happen because applicants are responding to a job listing that doesn’t provide any names. But it’s best to go the extra mile and try to find out who actually makes the hiring decisions, or at least who is the point person for processing the applications.
People get a subtle psychological thrill out of seeing their own names, and many will find it harder to ignore your letter if you’ve written to them personally. It also shows professionalism and respect on your part if you’ve gone to the trouble of finding out the name of the correct person to write to. If you can’t find this information online, consider making a phone call to the company and just ask.
Goal of the cover letter greeting: Address the cover letter recipient in a professional manner while also establishing a direct, personal connection with the employer.
It’s time to start writing. The introduction to an esthetician cover letter — the first paragraph — should state your job objective and provide a compelling preview of your qualifications for this job.
Typically, the introduction should highlight your relevant work experience, which is always key in a job application. If you have little or no experience — for example, you’re just now graduating from college — then you can emphasize something else, such as your educational credentials.
Whatever the details of your personal situation, your introduction should grab the reader’s attention using well-chosen, provocative language, compelling that person to keep reading.
Some cover letters start with “My name is … .” But there’s no need to state your name here. As discussed already, your name should be the first thing at the top of your letter in the header, and will usually be in large type. Your name will also appear in the signature at the bottom of your letter, which we’ll come to shortly.
Another bad opening is “I am writing this letter to….” The recruiter already knows you’re writing this letter, so you don’t need to call attention to the fact that you’re writing a letter. Another tired opener is “Please consider this letter my application for….” It’s best to use the limited space you have to just write the letter, without ever using the words “this letter.”
Goal of the cover letter introduction: Intrigue the reader enough to learn more about your strongly matched qualifications esthetician cover letter sample.
Here’s the introduction from our esthetician cover letter sample, which you can modify for your own version.
Dear Ms. Gillmore,
Having practiced as a Florida state-licenced esthetician at two wellness retreats for the past seven years, I would relish the role as senior esthetician at the spa in your new leisure complex. It would offer a chance to bring my skill and my current client base to your state-of-the-art facilities.
If you’ve successfully hooked the fish, the cover letter body (middle part) is where you reel it in. All of your strongest arguments for why you are an outstanding esthetician need to appear in the central two or three paragraphs.
Once again, this includes employment experience, which is always key. Don’t just say where you’ve worked or for how long, but be specific about what you achieved at those jobs. Use facts and figures whenever possible — perhaps the total number of clients you’ve treated in your career, or the percentage increase in revenue that you generated for a given company.
Try to include at least one anecdote — a short little story, even if it’s one sentence — that describes a specific challenge you faced in the past, what action you took to address it, and how you achieved a successful outcome.
You can also use the body of your letter to discuss your education and any certifications you hold. And you can also pivot from talking about the past to discussing your aspirations for the future — especially with this specific employer.
It’s always helpful to name the company you’re writing to and say something about it and why you want to work there. At the very least, this demonstrates that you aren’t just mailing out a mass-produced cover letter to 50 different spas.
It also affirms that this cover letter is unique, targeted to a specific employer. Otherwise, you’ll be guilty of “job-seeker spam,” and your chances of getting a positive response will plummet accordingly.
Goal of the cover letter body: Elaborate on how this employer would benefit by hiring you as an esthetician.
Our esthetician cover letter sample illustrates what you might include in the middle part.
At both Pinewell Spa and The Ridgeway, I was responsible for a full range of cosmetic treatments, including: laser procedures, cosmetic applications, waxing, chemical peels, microdermabrasion and a variety of facial treatments. I maintained a warm and personal manner when discussing treatment plans with each individual client, ensuring a strict adherence to esthetics policies.
Over the years I have developed a loyal (and local) customer base, with 60% of clients returning after the first course of treatments. Nearly half my clients followed me to my second role when I left my first employer, and I expect a similar percentage to come with me to my next employer. I know that your sales and marketing operation is very slick, but word of mouth from genuine clients is always powerful.
I enjoy working on a team of dedicated estheticians, and I have been heavily involved in training and developing less experienced colleagues. At Ridgeway, my training programs with 14 colleagues resulted in a 37% uptick in customer satisfaction. There will always be those who are not satisfied with the treatment, but if your technical skill is at the highest possible level, these numbers will be minimized.
In terms of product lines, I have used every major brand on the market and have a subtle appreciation of the benefits in every circumstance. I regularly visit skincare events and keep updated with the latest product developments.
Once you’ve reeled the fish in, it’s time to pull it into the boat. The concluding paragraph of your cover letter should contain some kind of call to action — for example, you would be delighted to pay a visit to the spa, to meet your correspondent in person, to discuss why you would be a good fit for the job, etc.
Plant the thought in the recipient’s head that s/he should take some action as a result of your letter, and not just set it aside. You don’t want to sound demanding or presumptuous, but do what you can to politely convince this person to get back to you.
Goal of the cover letter closing: End on a positive note with a call to action that puts some onus on the employer to follow up.
Below is the closing section of our sample esthetician cover letter.
I would love to have the opportunity to come into your spa for an interview to show off my skills and maybe a couple of trial treatments.
All you need for the closing salutation of your letter is “Sincerely,” above your name. Acceptable substitutes include “Best regards,” “All my best” or “Cordially” — as long as your sign-off doesn’t sound unprofessional or overly familiar.
The esthetician cover letter example below is perfect!
Sincerely,
Marianne Jacobs
We are all self-interested creatures — you, for example, are interested in getting yourself a job! But in writing your letter, always be cognizant of the self-interest of the person you’re writing to.
In the esthetician cover letter example we've been looking at, Ms. Gillmore doesn’t need to be convinced that Marianna Jacobs needs or deserves a job. Ms. Gillmore needs to be convinced that Marianna Jacobs would make her spa more successful, more efficient and more profitable.
In other words, you want to convince the recruiter that hiring you would earn the company more money than it would cost the company.
Pay close attention to the tone you use in writing your letter, and try to imagine that you’re the one receiving it. Have you used any phrases that make you sound arrogant or entitled? Or perhaps you may seem a bit too informal or silly? Don’t second guess yourself too much, but make sure you are making thoughtful decisions regarding your tone of communication. The combination of friendliness and professionalism has rarely steered anyone wrong in their job hunt.
Your letter should sound confident, positive, enthusiastic and optimistic. But it should never sound egotistical, self-important, overconfident or presumptuous.
We all make mistakes — but for an esthetician writing a cover letter, here are some you don’t want to make:
Best of luck in your job search! We at resume.io are here to help.