Kulvir Kaur – Senior Beauty Therapist

Despite it being Kulvir’s dream ever since she was a young girl, a career in beauty was never deemed acceptable to her Indian family. “I wanted to study beauty therapy and ended up studying pharmacy in India to make my father happy.”
After moving to Australia she decided to follow her dream and enrol in a beauty therapy course (despite her father’s dismay). When Kulvir was awarded the Highest Achievement when doing her Certificate III, her father was “surprised and very happy… He told all his friends and was very proud of me. My passion and achievement brought a cultural change in my family; my father encouraged other people in our family to choose their own goal (even if it in beauty). I am proud to bring that cultural change in my family.”

What did you study and what are the steps you took to be where you are today?

I studied  Diploma in Beauty Therapy, Certificate III in Beauty Services (Nail Elective)
and Certificate II in Retail Make-Up and Skin Care. I also did a skincare course with Dermalogica to become a specialist as well as short courses like spray tanning, eyelash extension etc.

Where are you currently working?

Ella Rouge – one of Australia’s leading beauty clinics.

What inspired a career in beauty?

I was born in India and since childhood I wanted to do something related to fashion and beauty industry, but due to lack of social awareness regarding the beauty industry as it was not considered a respectable career choice for women, I ended up studying pharmacy and was not able to pursue any formal education in the beauty/fashion industry.
It is only after coming to Australia that I decided to pursue my childhood dream to be a beauty therapist, my journey started with Certificate II, then Certificate III and then Diploma. It’s only when I started my education through TAFE that I was, guided to reach my full potential.

What did you want to be when you were younger?

I always wanted to work in fashion and beauty industry.

Tell us a little more about your role and explain a typical in the salon…

I work as a senior beauty therapist and my role involves providing various beauty treatments to the clients.

A typical day at our salon is to provide service to approximately 6-8 clients (per therapist). This can include facials, laser therapy, waxing and other body treatments.

Each day is a new challenge and inspires me to be an exceptional beauty therapist who consistently provides excellent services to her clients. A typical day provides me with the exposure to the new techniques, as well as the chance to apply learned techniques around the skin, body and technical equipment.

What’s the most interesting thing that’s happened to you in your career?

I was awarded the highest achievement award by my employer in my first year of work. This was thanks to my excellent service, strong rapport with my clients and achieving highest sales.

Name the best and worst parts of your job

Best: To meet my client’s expectations and provide them with the most appropriate service to meet their needs.

Worst: Sometimes I get very busy and I am not able to provide client’s with their desired treatment in a time that’s suitable for them.

What’s the most important career tip someone has given you?

My teacher at TAFE provided me with the most important tip: To always ask for feedback from my clients so that I can improve myself. Asking feedback will ensure that I am consistently improving my skills and offering the most appropriate and valuable service. The feedback helped me to gain confidence and helped me improve my standards and skills.

What do you wish someone had told you before starting as a beauty therapist?

I was very nervous at the beginning as I decided very late in my career to study beauty therapy, however, my teachers we very encouraging and supportive. I just wish someone would have told me that in beauty industry there is a lot of opportunities to learn new things every day, great career prospects and best of all it’s lots of fun.

What qualities and skills should people who want to get into beauty therapy possess?

To be successful in the beauty industry, a person needs to have good communication skills and the ability to understand the client’s needs, and to ensure that the client understands the therapy offered and its benefits.

A good therapist needs to work as part of a team and inspires a genuine feeling of goodwill in their clients. A positive attitude and good sales skills are also very important

Where do people have to start to get into this field and what is the standard salary?

I would recommend the future students to start from Certificate II or Certificate III to get a feel for the industry and if they are comfortable to work in the field then they need to gain some employment experience and also aim for a Diploma in Beauty Therapy. The standard salary for a junior beauty therapist is approx $18 per hour.

Name a career highlight

Ella Rouge Skin Clinics award for Outstanding performance
Ella Rouge Skin Clinics, Ryde – Employer’s award for Highest Performance & Achievement
Finalist – NSW Vocational Trainee of the Year 2016
Bay2Bay Regional Training Award – Highest Achievement award for Vocational Training Excellence
Hunter TAFE Foundation – TAFE NSW Ambassador Prize

What’s next for you?

One day I would like to open my own beauty salon.

Inspired by Kulbvir’s story? If beauty is your passion then start with a course in Beauty Therapy – enquire today!