Many people use the words “job” and “career” interchangeably, but they are not really the same. Finding employees that look upon what they do as a career instead of as just a job will be a big boost for your salon, because they will have more of an investment in themselves and how they represent their profession. Practicing skin care as an esthetician was not going to be another “job” to fulfill, but more of an exciting challenge. Working as an esthetician was going to be more than just clocking in and out – it was going to be a pursuit of what I was passionate about. For both estheticians and business owners, understanding the distinction between a job and career is vital.
There is a really simple difference – a job is short term and a career is long term. If you are doing something you love, such as an esthetician, then you should have career minded goals to work for a business that has long term opportunities available to you, and where you can show off your passion. If you are a business owner, you will want to focus on ensuring your employees have a proper work environment where they are not viewing their position at your business as a temporary “job” until something better comes along. It is very costly to keep turning over employees, and can also look negatively on your salon. With new employees always coming in, it also means investing more time and money to train them. This could also affect your regular clients, as they may not want to experiment with new people all the time. No one likes inconsistency.
So you always want to find the best fit for you. It doesn’t matter which side you are on, boss or employee, career opportunities and growth should be discussed. What does the term “career opportunities” mean to you? Think about all the things that make businesses seem more attractive and also as places for potential careers… For instance, as a business owner do you offer:
- Employee perks/benefits?
- Formal evaluations and goal setting practices?
- Formal training procedures and educational opportunities?
With any profession, including estheticians, these are things to look for when deciding on the best place to work. If you are a business owner, these are also the things to implement into your salon to obtain the best employees possible. Your employees are the most important asset of your business, and as they always say, “Hire slow, fire fast.” This is important and vital to obtaining the best talent for your business – and for estheticians this shows the level of commitment the owners are to taking the time necessary to ensure who they hire will last for the long haul.
It is important to remember that whichever end you fall on, understanding and comprehending how these two terms relate to you and your long term professional success is critical to the success of your career or business in the long run. Have you thought about how you distinguish a job versus a career?