Finding Your First Job as an Aesthetics Practitioner: Insider Advice
Finding your first job as an aesthetics practitioner doesn’t need to be daunting. Read our guide to help you put your best foot forward in your new medical career!
We’ve spoken to aesthetics experts who work for large clinic chains and boutique practices. We also interviewed practitioners with their own clinics who employ injectors. So now we can give you the best insider advice on how to successfully secure part-time or full-time positions.
You’re going to want to bookmark this page!
10 steps to take before applying for your first job as an aesthetics practitioner
As with most things, preparation is the key to starting your job search off well.
At this point we recommend you read our article on the skills you should master before applying for aesthetics jobs.
Next, before you’ve even written your CV, complete the following 10 steps…
Steps 3 and 4 aren’t imperative but they can make a huge difference to your confidence levels. This can, in turn, really assist how you ‘sell’ yourself to potential employers.
1. Completed a Foundation Training in Botox & Dermal Fillers level course, at the very least
2. Got your cosmetic practice insurance policy in place and know what you are and are not covered for
3. Start treating people so you can put your new injectables skills to work and build your confidence
4. Ask the people you treat for feedback on the experience - not just the results, for example, how did they find your communication skills before, during and after the appointment? Did the treatment hurt more or less than they had expected? Would they recommend you to a friend?
5. Make a list of the geographical areas you’d like to work in
6. Research the aesthetics clinics in those locations and see who’s recruiting
7. Make a wishlist of the clinics you’d like to work in, whether they’re recruiting or not
8. Put together a list of your aesthetics experience, during and outside of your training courses, and all the the medical experience you bring outside of aesthetics
9. Make a list of all your ‘soft skills’ - attributes such as being a good communicator, able to easily translate medical terms into patient-friendly explanations, etc.
10. Decide what you want from a position - part-time, full-time, the number of hours per day, being part of a small or large team, opportunities for career advancement, etc.
Why should you do this?
Sounds like a lot of work, right? It’s actually not that bad once you start - especially if you’re excited about starting a new career! Remember, it doesn’t have to all be done in one day or one week - the timeline is entirely up to you.
What’s important is that you get a clear idea of what you want from a role, what you can offer the clinics you’ll be applying to and what the landscape is like in the areas you’re interested in.
The clearer the picture, the better placed you’ll be to start targeting clinics to secure your perfect position!
Writing your CV and tailoring it to each job advert
Learning how to write a CV for aesthetics practitioner jobs is most likely new to you. NHS jobs rarely require the same approach, so let us help.
A guide to writing your CV for aesthetics jobs
You’ll find our guide, How to Write a CV for Aesthetics Jobs, useful as it provides a step-by-step breakdown.
The only advice we’d add to this is that aesthetic medicine is a particularly visual industry. If you want to stand out, try using a beautiful - yet professional - design for your CV. Free design platforms such as Canva offer templates so you don’t need any graphic design skills to make an impact!
This is a nice - and simple - way of conveying a bit of your personality, too. Just make sure any designs and colours you choose aren’t too overwhelming and that it’s still easy to read. Don’t make busy recruiters work hard to get the information they need; they may decide it’s not worth the effort…
Save your CV as a PDF file and keep a copy on your phone so you can move quickly if an opportunity arises. You can even WhatsApp or email it to someone if an appropriate window comes up during in-person networking.
Tailor your CV and cover letter to the job you’re applying for
This may sound like obvious advice but you’d be amazed how many people send out generic versions!
Carefully read the job advertisement for the role you’re applying for. Also, read about the company you’re applying to using their website and social media.
Make a list of the main duties and responsibilities using the exact wording they’ve used in the advert. Then, jot down all the key words and phrases they use to describe the company, its ethos and approach to aesthetics and/or patient care.
You’re going to echo these phrases in a natural-sounding way in your cover letter. For bonus points, you should also tweak your CV to best reflect the position you’re applying for.
Example: what the company says...
For example, if you see a job advert posted to LinkedIn that says this…
Part-time aesthetics practitioner required!
We’re looking for an aesthetics practitioner to work three days a week in our Leytonstone clinic. You’ll be providing injectable treatments and must be:
- A qualified medical professional
- Fully insured to carry out aesthetic treatments without supervision
- Experienced in high standards of patient care
- Reliable, conscientious team member
- Proactive and able to use your initiative
- Motivated and keen to develop your skills
- A great communicator.
Please send your CV and cover letter to Dr Satty Khan at [email address] REF: 1234
And their website says this about the company…
Leytonstone Aesthetics is a boutique injectables clinic offering natural-looking rejuvenating treatments to our East London community. We pride ourselves on being a doctor-led practice with excellent aesthetic medicine credentials. We are committed to patient safety and enhancing your own beauty, in a way that best suits you.
You’re going to use these phrases in your cover letter and CV…
Example: what you're going to write...
Dear Dr Khan,
Part-Time Aesthetics Practitioner REF: 1234
I would like to apply for the part-time aesthetics practitioner position at your Leytonstone practice, as advertised on LinkedIn.
I am an aesthetic nurse prescriber with 12 months of experience in aesthetic medicine. My background is in surgical care and I have worked on the wards in the NHS for 5 years.
Having successfully completed my Foundation Training in Botox & Dermal Fillers at the prestigious Harley Academy in 2023, I have been proactively treating botox and filler patients as a sole practitioner since then. I’m now looking for a part-time position as an injector within a successful practice and would love to bring my skills and enthusiasm to your clinic!
As a firm advocate of patient safety and a natural aesthetic, I believe I would be a great fit for your business. Our ethics certainly align. Additionally, not only am I an experienced and motivated healthcare professional, I’m also:
- A qualified medical aesthetic practitioner who’s passionate about natural enhancements
- A fantastic communicator who always helps patients to feel at ease
- A proactive, reliable team player
- Proud to provide the highest standards of patient care
- Local to Leytonstone and keen to develop my facial rejuvenation skills further whilst treating my community!
Thank you for taking the time to consider my application. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this with you further at interview and can be contacted at [mobile number] or via email: [email address].
Yours sincerely
You can then drop phrases such as these into your CV… This will subtly reinforce that you’ve understood what they’re looking for - and that you fit the bill!
Feel free to copy and paste the above and use it as a cover letter template for aesthetics job applications.
How to approach aesthetics clinics who aren’t recruiting
This is actually a very similar approach to the one outlined above. If the clinic you’d love to work for doesn’t have any job adverts listed, you can call them - or, even better, pop in - to find out if they have any vacancies.
If they do, take down the details and follow the steps above. Instead of using details from the job description, just do a deep dive into their website and social media. See how the business positions itself and tailor your CV and cover letter to help you stand out.
Should they not be recruiting, find out the name and contact details of the person who looks after this process. You can then send them your CV, however, if you don’t hear back, just make sure that you’re following up and not hounding someone! If they’re not recruiting, they may not get in touch until they are, so be patient.
Dr Harriet Jenkins, our Medical Director, took the approach of dropping off her CV at aesthetics clinics she wanted to work at until one took her on. This was a great way to meet potential employers face-to-face so she could impress them in person. It’s a tough way to do things but, as Dr Harriet’s flourishing career shows, it can pay off.
If you know anyone who can put a good word in for you, that never hurts either!
Congratulations! You’ve got an interview! Now what..?
It’s normal to be nervous but remember, you’re interviewing them just as much as they’re interviewing you. Job interviews should be a discussion, not a broadcast!
Cosmetic doctor and Harley Academy clinical trainer, Dr Jaymi Lad owns the thriving Javivo Clinic in Manchester. She employs a number of aesthetics practitioners and shared her insights with us regarding the questions you should prepare for at your job interview.
Check out her interview - Aesthetics Clinic Job Interview Advice - for everything you need to know about how to prepare yourself. Our Director of Clinical Education and qualified mindset coach, Dr Kalpna Pindolia also contributed some fantastic advice on the psychological side of things.
Don’t worry if you feel like you didn’t ask enough questions, didn’t ask the right questions or forgot to relay a crucial piece of information. You can always follow up with an email to thank them for their time and slip your query or info in then.
But how do I get a job as an aesthetics practitioner without experience?
Many aesthetics clinics require at least a year of experience from even the most junior aesthetics practitioners. The easiest way to gain this and absolutely ace this criteria is to start treating friends of friends, acquaintances and colleagues, privately.
You can make your prices affordable to help you get started. Ensure you’re covering your costs but you don’t need to be making a profit at this stage. Concentrate on building up a portfolio of cases and, potentially even more importantly, becoming confident as an injector.
We’ve previously written about Getting an Aesthetics Job with No Experience so check this out for further advice.
Did you get the job? Let us know!
You’ll find more advice on this topic in our article, How to Get Your First Injecting Job in Aesthetics.
Take this all in, shoot your shots and let us know if you got the job you wanted by messaging us via the chatbot. We love to hear how all our trainees and graduates are getting on!
Many of our graduates go on to work in top aesthetic clinic chains. One of those is Dr Mirali Patel - featured in the video above - who had this to say:
“So the Level 7 has been a real eye-opener, particularly because I’ve always been keen on dermatology and aesthetics and it’s been a fantastic training opportunity. They’ve taught me so much more than what I expected and have opened up a lot of career opportunities. And it’s thanks to Harley that I’ve now been able to secure a job at one of the largest aesthetics providers, at Laser Clinics. So, thank you, Harley!”
All information correct at the time of publication
