How To Become A Beauty Therapist (Beautician) In Australia?

The hair and beauty industry is booming daily, and there is a massive requirement for beauty therapists, making it a lucrative career for those who want to join this industry.

In Australia, beauticians and beauty therapists work in different settings, such as spas, beauty salons, departmental stores, and hairdressing salons. As per a report, by 2024, the requirement for beauty therapists will grow by 20%.

Moreover, a beauty therapist job is ideal for creative people who have an interest in making their clients feel beautiful and letting them know about the galore of benefits of different skin treatments, advising the right beauty treatments based on the requirement of each client, and ensuring that the job is done well.

Anyone with good social skills will find working in the beauty therapy sector beneficial. Now, let’s find out how to become a beauty therapist in Australia in detail, including their salary, what courses to study, jobs, how much they earn, and more.

1. What Does A Beauty Therapist Do?

You will find beauty therapists, beauticians, dermal therapists, and more in the beauty industry. Two careers that are often used interchangeably are beauty therapists and beauticians.

A beauty therapist is a broad term used to refer to a vast range of treatments offered by the professional. More or less, a beautician’s and beauty therapist’s jobs are the same, but there is one significant difference.

So, what do beauty therapists do? A beauty therapist has the knowledge to take care of both body and facial treatments. They have the skills to work on a scientific level. They are trained in skin biology, cosmetic chemistry, and anatomy. Some of the services they offer are traditional facials, massage, pedicure, and more.

Beauticians are skilled in giving beauty services, such as tinting, makeup, threading, facials, waxing, spray tanning, lash extension, and more.

More or less, beauty therapists and beauticians do the same thing, but a therapist is more skilled in giving skin health-related treatment that will not only make the client look better but keep the skin healthy too. Also, there is a slight difference in the certification level as well.

Both beauticians and beauty therapists will talk to their clients first to understand what kind of treatments they will provide. As explained, their range of services will differ, and that happens because different clients look for various services.

Also, a beauty therapist will give a client beauty advice and treatment plans based on the consultancy.

2. Responsibilities of A Beauty Therapist

As a beauty therapist, you will have to ensure that your client feels comfortable with the recommended treatment. In addition, you will have to build a relationship with your client to trust you.

Moreover, you need to have solid interpersonal skills because that’s how you will grow in this industry. Some of the typical responsibilities of a beauty therapist are:

• Speak to the client and understand their requirements. A beauty therapist will have to ask questions which will let them analyze the skin condition and recommend skin treatment accordingly.

• The beauty therapist will have to provide high-quality body and facial treatments.

• Perform different massaging techniques on a client’s back, feet, hands, and face.

• Before giving a treatment to the client, the specialist must explain the reason for the treatment, what to expect during the treatment, and how it will affect their skin after the treatment is over.

• A therapist should know about different skin treatments, such as skin rejuvenation, facials, peels, and other treatments to make the skin healthy from deep within.

• Clients can ask for pedicure and manicure treatments.

• Clients may want to know about skincare and cosmetic products. As a professional, beauty therapists should have in-depth knowledge of different skincare and cosmetic products and carefully advise clients.

• A beauty therapist should know about applying makeup for different occasions, such as weddings, parties, birthdays, and more.

• The professional must handle every appointment carefully, maintain a proper record and deal with financial transactions.

 
Please note that some beauty therapists may specialize in particular treatments and work for a specific niche rather than multiple treatments.

3. Education Requirement To Become A Beauty Therapist in Australia

Someone with a certificate IV in beauty therapy or a diploma in beauty therapy can become a beauty therapist in Australia. The qualification and training a candidate will receive will help them decide what type of beauty treatments they can provide.

The Certificate IV in Beauty Therapy will help a candidate understand the skills required to become a beauty therapist. In addition, the certificate will prepare a candidate to perform different kinds of treatments, such as brow treatment, lash treatment, facial, body massage, and more.

You can opt for multiple short certifications to provide different beauty services; however, certificate IV in beauty therapy will let you cover all the primary services/

You can go for certificate III in beauty services if you are only interested in giving beauty treatments, such as pedicure, manicure, makeup, waxing, etc. This certification will help you work independently or get a job in a salon.

Although it is not mandatory to complete a course to become a beautician, all the major beauty companies look for certificates because they give you thorough training and help you understand what needs to be done in this sector.

Also, a beauty therapy certification can be a good steppingstone for your career. The majority of candidates take the beauty therapist TAFE course. This course is both comprehensive and practical. This course is nationally accredited and qualifies you to become a professional beauty therapist.

4. Type of Jobs Available for a Beauty Therapist in Australia

With a beauty therapy certification, you will become eligible to apply for jobs in different sectors.

Some of the most popular destinations for a beauty therapist to work are as follows:

Beauty Salon 
 
As you can expect, a beauty therapist can join a beauty salon to start her career or remain there and grow. Beauty salons have fixed working hours and are visited by regular clients.

Before starting your work as a beauty therapist, you will be given training in the salon where you will be working. The training will be related to the treatments that the salon provides and the range of products they sell.

Day Spa

A beauty therapist may work at a day spa, where they will be asked to provide hydrotherapy treatments and more. The specialist will be required to have proper knowledge about using specialised machinery for the body. The clients can be both temporary and regular.

Hotel

The specialists will be expected to have the same skills as working in a day spa and salons in a hotel. Based on the hotel you will be working in and the kind of treatments they provide, you will have to hone your skills accordingly.

Working hours won’t be fixed because in hotels guests come and go. So, you could be asked to come at night or during the day.

Tourist Destination Areas

Working in tourist destination areas brings its own benefits. You could be working in an eco-friendly retreat, or a beachside resort based on where you get the job. There is a huge chance of working for different clients.

You should have good communications skills for this sector to interact with different kinds of clients.

Cruise Ships

Working on cruise ships is another exciting career for beauty therapists. You will be travelling along with all the other staff boarded in the cruise ship, and you will have to offer your beauty treatment and services to customers who have boarded the ship.

Usually, you will be asked to sign a contract to work as a cruise ship beauty therapist. Also, the salary for beauty therapists is relatively higher.

Home

Beauty therapists can provide their services to people who want professionals to visit them at home. Such therapists can own beauty businesses or work for a company that provides home-based services. Home-based services are becoming very popular because this saves clients time.

5. Recommended Skills To Become an Excellent Beauty Therapist

If you are sure about pursuing a beauty therapist career, the first thing that you should do is look for beauty therapist courses that will help you understand what needs to be done, learn about different beauty therapy treatments, and how to perform each beauty treatment.

Just like any other professional course, beauty therapists will have to meet specific requirements. A beauty therapist’s job is people-focused, and you will have to make sure that you have people skills to do this job.
 

• You need to be good at customer service. Please note that as a beauty therapist, you will be facing the clients directly. And that’s the main reason you need to have good customer service skills.

• To provide bespoke customer service, you have to be an active listener. A beauty therapist who listens carefully can provide adequate beauty treatments to their clients. Understand what the client wants, and their requirements, and accordingly provide services.

• You will have to be a good decision-maker. Why? Well, you will be responsible for providing treatments based on the problems your customers are facing. One mistake in choosing the proper treatment can lead to poor results.

• You must be enthusiastic about learning the latest beauty trends. Your customer may ask you about the latest trend to know whether it will suit them or not. Therefore, keeping yourself up-to-date about the beauty industry becomes prudent.

• You need to be proactive in asking clients whether they are comfortable. Also, keep them engaged, so they don’t feel nervous while going for treatment. 

6. Salary of A Beauty Therapist in Australia

The highest beauty therapist's salary in Australia per year is $60,000. On average, one can expect to earn $48,576 every year. However, the lowest salary earned by beauty therapists in Australia is $30,000.

The salary of the beauty therapist will depend on multiple factors, such as the location of the job, industry, experience of the person, kind of degree the person holds, kind of treatments the person offers, and more.

All these factors will contribute to the net salary of the beauty therapist. If you own a beauty salon, the more services you offer and the more customers you serve, the higher the income will become.

7. How To Apply For A Beauty Therapist Job In Australia?

Before applying for a beauty therapist job, ensure that you have completed at least a Certificate III or diploma of beauty therapy course online or offline. The course will help you understand the foundation of the beauty industry. Moreover, these days a minimum of certificate III is required almost everywhere.

After completing your course, you need to work on your skills. You can join internships to understand how this industry works. You will work under experienced beauty therapists, and they will help you polish your skills.

While you are doing all that, you will have to work on your resume. Do mention the certification you have attained and the internship you have done. As a fresher, these details will help you get a good job. If you have some working experience, don’t forget to mention the number of years of experience you have and where you have worked.

Then, meet some recruiting agencies and share your resume with them. They have good networks and can help you get a job faster. You can also look at the internet for beauty therapist jobs in Australia. When your resume gets selected, be ready to impress the recruiter so that you can be hired!

8. How Long Will It Take To Complete A Diploma Course in Beauty Therapy?

If you are going for a certificate III and IV in beauty therapy, the course duration will be 12 months. This course is available in both online and offline modes with practical classes. Think about the kind of skills you want and accordingly choose a course.

If you are ready to become a beauty therapist in Australia and are determined to pursue this career option, use this guide to get started! Good luck for your bright future!

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