Professional Barber Resume [Examples + Pro Tips]

Want to start a career in this or take your job to the next level?

You need a professional barber resume.

We have composed this ultimate guide to show you step-by-step the process of creating a resume so that you can land salon jobs in any elegant location.

This article includes the following:

• A complete barber resume sample that you can copy.
• Sample experience sections that are better than any other candidate.
• The most paid barber skills to include in your resume.
• Pro resume writing tips.

The perfect barber job does not wait until you figure out how to make a resume in Microsoft Word. Try our resume builder for FREE to create a modern barber resume in less than 10 minutes.

Check out more resume examples.

How to Create a Perfect Barber Resume?

There's a way you start your work for a new client, right?

You don't put the clipper guard to #2 and start trimming right away.

You ask him questions, identify his requirements, and plan your work process.

In writing your barber resume, you should make a similar approach. If you straightaway start writing it, it will take more time and will need more changes after it's done.

First, write a layout for your resume and define the resume format you're going to use.

Write your barber resume layout

This is your plan to write your resume. The layout includes the main sections, subheadings, and any important information you're planning to include on your resume.

By writing your layout on paper, you'll have a better idea about the space your resume will take. Also, it will organize your writing and make sure you won't miss anything important.

We recommend the following layout for a barber resume:

• Header.
• Professional summary.
• Work Experience.
• Education.
• Skills.
• Additional sections (certificates, languages, and interests).

Pick the right resume format for barbers

Your resume format defines how you compose the information in your experience section.

The right format makes it easy for the reader to digest your experience fully and make a faster shortlisting decision.

There're three standard resume formats in use, namely skill-based, reverse chronological, and combination formats.

In a skill-based resume, your experience in different salons should be categorized based on the key skills. In the reverse chronological order resume, you should write your most recent experience first and write the rest of the experience in reverse order. The other one is a mix of these two approaches.

For barber resumes, we suggest using a reverse chronological resume format to write your experience section. This will give the hiring manager a clear idea about what you have been up to recently.

You know how busy the salon managers are. They won't spend more than a couple of seconds going through a resume.

Also, consider using a modern resume template to put all this information in – use it to organize your resume content effectively within the limited space.

Though you could use Microsoft office to create a template by yourself, there's now a better way. Try one of our ready-to-fill resume templates and create an excellent resume.

Start Your Barber Resume with the Header

Start your resume with the header. This is where you write your name and contact details. Keep this section short with all important contact details. The hiring manager will refer to this section whenever they want to contact you.

Refer to these examples to find out what makes a good resume header👇

A good & a bad header

CORRECT

Mark Johnson

Hairdresser

markjohnson@gmail.com

(256)827-5263

https://www.tiktok.com/markj

INCORRECT

Hairdresser

Mark Johnson

(256)827-5263

11, main street, apt 304,

Washington DC,

USA

Here's why the first header is a better one than the next:

• Name at the beginning, followed by the position you applied for.
• Put your personal email and mobile number so the salon manager can easily contact you.
• No need to write your physical address. Only the city would be enough.
• You could include the link if you have a professional social media presence on any platform.

Hook the Reader with a Professional Summary

This will be the first couple of paragraphs on your resume – the opening statement that summarizes your barber career.

Make this an opportunity to talk directly about the hiring manager's requirements. Address their concerns and desires with your skills and experience.

Keep the resume summary to a maximum of 2-3 sentences.

For an entry-level barber, state the certifications you have completed, your internships, and your training.

Example professional summary/ resume summary

CORRECT

A master barber with over 20 years of experience in Barber's Way North America, managing a team of 15 barbers, hair stylists, and other staff in a barber shop. Seeking to join Luxury Cut to share my extensive knowledge on the subject and achieve growth targets.

INCORRECT

A dedicated barber with years of experience in the industry in North America seeking to join a barbershop. In my previous salon, I managed a team of barbers and provided excellent customer service.

Example objective summary/ resume objective

CORRECT

A licensed barber with 1 year internship at City Hair Men's Salon carried out hair cutting, trimming, and beard-cutting, also involved in scheduling appointments and answering customer inquiries. Seeking to join Mega Cuts as a barber to further my career by providing great customer service.

INCORRECT

I am a passionate barber with a certificate from a barber school looking for a job to start my career. I don't have previous work experience, but I am confident that I can provide great customer service.

Demonstrate Your Hair Care Experience

Do you know what your master barber or salon owner first checks on your resume?

Your experience section.

They won't allow anyone without experience to touch their clients. It makes sense, right?

Hair styling is critical work that involves many skills and experience. Just having a certificate wouldn't make you a barber. You should be able to follow client instructions accurately and make sure they are satisfied with the outcome.

Does this mean there'll be no chance for a fresher in the industry? No. Some salons hire fresh graduates from hair styling certification courses. Their initial work will be learning the skills while managing other services in the salon. The work would involve sweeping floors, cleaning and sterilizing scissors, cash handling, and answering calls.

In the meantime, you'll get the chance to do basic hair styling with the help of a senior barber. More complex work, such as razor services and hair cutting, comes in later.

Experience section for a senior barber resume

INCORRECT

Aug 2015 to Present

Golden Haircare

Senior Barber

• Managed customer complaints.
• Provided desired services to the clients.
• Followed clients' instructions.
• Provided all barbering services.
• Good interpersonal skills.

CORRECT

Aug 2015 to Present

Golden Haircare

Senior Barber

• Alleviate hair problems of customers by listening to them and providing fast solutions with the latest hair care techniques. Achieved a customer satisfaction ratio of 96%.
• Up-sold expensive hair services and skin care services to regular clients resulting in 8% increase in annual sales contribution.
• Promoted salon exclusive products and became the best-selling barber in 2021.
• Trained over 30 new apprentices over the last two years who are ultimately working in salons around New York.

If you have a portfolio of loyal clients who would come searching for you to the other end of the world, that would be an asset you could monetize on your resume and even in an interview.

The barber profession is a somewhat different one than other professions. More experience does not always mean you're a fit for the job. Hairstyles and trends are constantly changing.

A senior barber with 25 years of experience would not be as attractive for a salon targeting a GenZ customer segment.

You must go through the job advertisement and identify their requirement before applying.

Show leadership, team building, communication, and decision-making skills and your technical knowledge.

Experience section for an entry-level barber resume

INCORRECT

Aug 2021 to Present

Galaxy Hair Salon

Junior Barber

• Clean and sterilize scissors.
• Help the master barber to provide an efficient service.
• Follow the client's instructions and style hair.
• Pin protective cloths, sanitize, and follow health & safety guidelines.
• Tapers hair according to clients instructions.

CORRECT

Aug 2021 to Present

Galaxy Hair Salon

Barber

• Record services provided by the other 12 barbers to different clients and do the billing.
• Well-experienced with over 50 trending haircut styles in the USA market.
• Used hand-held blow dryers to
• Suggest treatments for hair losses that resulted in 12% increase in hair care product sales.
• Maintained salon quality standards set by the management to achieve an increased ranking on Google from 4.3 to 4.5 in 6 months.

Highlight your technical skills and soft skills, such as communication, in your experience section. Provide examples of situations where you got exceptional feedback from your clients.

Showcase Your Formal Education

A barber shop would not be strict about the candidate's formal education, provided they have the required technical expertise to do the job.

However, most barber job ads require the candidates to have a high school diploma though it's not mandatory.

This doesn't mean higher education is not important to becoming a good hairstylist. The more educated you're, the more opportunities you'll get in different market segments.

Make a short section to showcase your formal education.

Education

Key Skills That Get You Well-Paid Barber Jobs

Your salon manager knows exactly that anyone can put a list of skills on their resume, but they still want to see whether you have identified the right skills required to perform the tasks in the salon.

There're two types of skills you should write: soft skills and technical skills. Soft skills are hard to measure – they can only be judged based on your work and attitude. On the other hand, technical skills are those that set you apart – giving you the capability and confidence to negotiate your rate.

Include 5-7 key skills – ideally, a mix of soft skills and technical skills.

Soft Skills for barbers

• Multitasking
• Emotional intelligence
• Communication skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Reliability & resourcefulness
• Leadership skills
• Accountability
• Critical thinking
• Attention to detail
• Time management

A barber should have exceptional communication skills to deal with clients and identify their requirements. The client engagements need to be pleasant and welcoming. They should be able to work under minimal supervision and guide the client to identify his needs.

The master barber or senior barbers would have to train new apprentices on the job. They require to have leadership skills and clear communication.

In most salons, barbers get to upsell products such as shampoos, conditioners, hair gels, and other related products – maintain the cleanliness of the area – answer the phone and take appointments from clients.

Multitasking, critical thinking, reliability, time management, and many more soft skills will come in handy.

Technical Skills for barbers

• Styling hair
• Trim hair
• Record maintenance
• Microsoft Office
• Skincare services
• Clean and sweep floors
• Cut hair
• Hair tapering
• Beard shaving
• Schedule appointments
• Answer telephone calls

Additional Sections for Barber Resumes

The above sections mark the end of almost all barber resumes, but yours is special. We are creating one of a kind resume for your next barber job to land a well-paid job in a lavish salon.

With all the basic information provided already, we need to give a little push to the salon manager to shortlist your resume. One more reason to make them want to meet you for an interview – that's exactly what the additional sections do.

They provide some key information about the candidate's background to make him an interesting choice for the job.

Here're some of the additional sections you could use on your barber resume:

• Computer skills
• Certifications
• Interests
• Social media footprint
• Languages

Computing Skills

If you have basic computer literacy, that would be an advantage as most barbers wouldn't think they need it.

Most stylish barber shops use information technology and systems to record transactions, carry out operations, and provide service to clients – Customer relationship management systems (CRM) for client management, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems for operations and stock management, or even MS Excel for everything.

Though you don't have to use all these as a barber, your understanding of basics will be important as you often enter customer records on the system, print invoices, and complete cash and card transactions.

Certifications

There're many barber and hair stylist skill certification courses available. Check what is appropriate for the market you're trying to enter.

The relevant certificate would depend on the geographical area you're trying to serve, gender, and technical skills. Check your state's barber license requirements – see the hours of apprenticeship you need to go through and the examinations you have to take.

Languages

Barbers need to have exceptional communication skills. What if you're multilingual?

That would probably open your salon manager's eyeballs, right?

If you're fluent in a couple of languages that add value to the market you serve, you have the edge over other candidates. Clients love to work with a barber who understands them in their own language.

List your language proficiency with the level of fluency using one of our resume templates to make it look exceptionally organized.

CORRECT

Languages

English Native

Spanish Full working proficiency

French Limited working proficiency

INCORRECT

Languages

English

Chinese

German

Social media footprint

If you have an engaged follower base on social media, you can use that to promote your new workplace and attract clients. Most personal brands have more engaged followers than business profiles.

Tips to Improve Your Barber Resume

Here're more tips to make your barber resume better:

• Use Grammarly or a similar tool to proofread your resume. Make sure it doesn't reach the hiring manager with a reckless mistake.
• If you're getting multiple rejections, check what is lacking in your profile ad work on that first. If you're missing a crucian certification, get it.
• Tailor your barber resume to each job you apply for. Different salons would have different requirements.
• Use a modern resume template and tailor it to your profile.

Key Takeaways: Writing a Winning Barber Resume

• Start your resume with your name and contact information.
• Write a resume summary as a sales pitch to your manager.
• Make an exceptional experience section. Be specific about your achievements.
• Write a short section with your educational background.
• Add relevant soft skills and technical skills.
• Use a couple of relevant additional sections to make a pleasant surprise to the manager.

Complement Your Resume with a Cover Letter

Write a cover letter that complements your barber resume.

The cover letter should describe your key skills, experience, and your passion for the industry. It's an extended version of your resume summary.

In this, you should directly talk to the salon manager. Try to start by answering their greatest fears. Try to find out their requirement from the job advertisement.

Your approach to writing the cover letter would differ based on whether they are looking for an experienced candidate who is an allrounder or a specialized candidate in hair styling, or an apprentice at a lower rate.

Create a tailored cover letter consuming half the time you previously spent using our cover letter builder.

FAQ

Can I become a barber with no experience?

There's no hard and fast rule about what education or qualification you should possess to become a barber. However, your experience would be critical for most jobs. If you're not an experienced barber, there're still ways to start your barber career.

Visit a cosmetology school and get a barber certification. Make sure the certification and examination you complete provide you with the license to work in your state as a barber.

Then, join a barber shop as an apprentice. Get your first hands-on experience for at least 1 year.

What tools do I need to start a barber shop?

There're about 200+ consumables and tools you need when you're running a barber shop. The type of products ad tools will depend on the type of salon. Here's a list of things you generally need for most salons to start:

• Trimmers
• Clippers
• Shaver
• Blow dryers
• Raser blades and holders
• Hair shears
• Disinfectants
• Neck strips
• Combs