Hairdresser CV Example
Updated 8 July 2026
A strong hairdresser CV proves technical skill, client loyalty and commercial value in one page. Whether you're NVQ Level 2 qualified and building your first column or a senior colourist with a bridal specialism, your CV must show salons exactly what you bring to the chair: the services you deliver, the rebooking rate you hold, and the retail revenue you generate. This guide walks you through every section, with real hairdresser CV examples at junior, mid and senior level.
Hairdresser CV examples
Junior Hairdresser (NVQ Level 2)
entryLeads with NVQ Level 2, names salon software and product training, and quantifies client rebooking growth from an apprenticeship base.
Hairdresser (NVQ Level 3)
midShows the jump from Level 2 to Level 3 duties, quantifies rebooking and retail metrics, and names advanced colour techniques and brand training.
Senior Hairdresser / Salon Manager
seniorDemonstrates leadership, team training, high rebooking and retail performance, plus niche specialism in bridal styling and advanced colour.
How to write a hairdresser CV
CV format and length
One page, reverse-chronological. Two pages only if you have nine-plus years and a portfolio of competition work or brand certifications that genuinely add value. No photo, no date of birth.
What to include, section by section
| Section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Header | Name, specialisation-led title (e.g. "Advanced Colourist | Balayage Specialist"), contact details, portfolio link (Instagram/TikTok). |
| Personal statement | 2-3 sentences: NVQ level, years of experience, specialism, one standout metric (rebooking rate or retail growth). |
| Skills | 8-12 technical services and tools: cutting techniques, balayage, colour correction, brand certifications (L'Oréal, Wella, Redken), salon software (Phorest, Fresha). |
| Experience | Reverse-chronological roles with 3-4 achievement bullets per job. Quantify rebooking rates, retail sales, client numbers and column revenue. |
| Education | NVQ Level 2 and Level 3 (state the level explicitly), plus GCSEs. Add short courses (bridal styling, barbering) if relevant. |
| Achievements | Brand certifications (L'Oréal Professionnel, Schwarzkopf), competition placements, first aid. |
| Additional info | Portfolio link again if space allows, languages if you serve a multilingual clientele, volunteering (charity cuts, fashion shows). |
Personal statement: what works
Your personal statement is two to three sentences at the top of the CV. It answers: What level are you? What do you specialise in? What's your standout commercial result?
Junior level: lead with your NVQ Level 2, name one technical skill (cutting, colour application), and show you understand the business side (rebooking, retail).
Senior level: lead with years of experience, your niche (balayage, bridal, barbering), brand certifications, and a metric that proves client loyalty or revenue impact.
Experience: show the salon what you deliver
Every bullet should prove you can fill a chair, keep clients coming back, and sell product. Name the service, the volume, and the result.
Frame your progression around the NVQ ladder. Junior/Level 2 duties: greeting, shampooing, prep, assisting with colour, building a small client base. Senior/Level 3 duties: cutting, colouring, consultations, mentoring juniors, stock ordering. If you jumped from Level 2 to Level 3, show that jump in your job titles and responsibilities.
Skills: name the techniques and tools
List the services you deliver and the systems you know. Vague "hair skills" tells a salon nothing. "Balayage, foil highlights, colour correction, keratin treatments" tells them you can cover their colour menu. Name the booking software (Phorest, Salon Iris, Fresha, Timely) so they know you won't need retraining on the till.
Add brand certifications: L'Oréal Professionnel, Wella, Redken, Schwarzkopf. Many salons are tied to one brand house, and certification is shorthand for "I know how to formulate and apply your colour system".
Education and certifications
State your NVQ level explicitly. "NVQ Level 2 Hairdressing" and "NVQ Level 3 Hairdressing" are the qualifications UK salons scan for. Level 2 covers consultation, shampooing, cutting, blow-drying, colouring. Level 3 adds creative cutting, creative colour and lightening, advanced styling.
Add City & Guilds, VTCT or barbering qualifications separately if you have them. Include GCSEs (English and Maths) if you're early-career. Short courses (bridal styling, Afro hair, extensions) go in Education or Achievements, whichever fits better.
Portfolio link
Hairdressing is a visual trade. Before-and-after photos prove skill faster than any bullet point. Add your Instagram or TikTok handle in the CV header and again in Additional Info. Salons expect to see your work, and a portfolio with colour transformations, bridal updos or cut work makes you memorable.
Personal statement examples
NVQ Level 3 hairdresser with five years' salon experience specialising in balayage, colour correction and creative cutting. L'Oréal Professionnel certified. Consistently achieve 78% client rebooking rate and increased column retail sales by 29% through tailored product recommendations.
Hard-working and passionate hairdresser looking for a role in a busy salon where I can use my skills and continue to learn. A team player who loves making clients feel good about themselves.
Writing your experience
The result-plus-metric pattern
Every bullet should follow this shape: action + service/volume + measurable result. Salons care about three numbers: how many clients you see, how many rebook, and how much retail you sell.
| Weak (duty-focused) | Strong (result-focused) |
|---|---|
| Responsible for cutting and colouring clients. | Deliver cutting, colouring and styling services to 15-18 clients per week, maintaining a 78% rebooking rate and column revenue of £1,200 weekly. |
| Recommended products to clients. | Increased retail product sales by 29% by recommending L'Oréal Serie Expert aftercare to colour clients, adding £340 monthly revenue. |
| Assisted senior stylists with colour services. | Assisted senior stylists with foil highlighting, tint application and keratin treatments for 20+ clients weekly, building technical colour skills. |
Quantify rebooking and retail
Rebooking rate and column loyalty are the metrics salon owners care about most because they map directly to chair revenue. If you improved your rebooking rate from 40% to 80%, say so. If you increased retail sales by 23% by recommending take-home product, say so. These numbers prove commercial value.
If you don't have exact figures, estimate conservatively: "Built a regular client base of 22 repeat customers within 12 months" or "Maintained a personal column of 68 regular clients with 81% rebooking rate".
Name the techniques and brands
Don't write "performed colour services". Write "performed balayage, foil highlights and colour correction using L'Oréal Professionnel Dia Richesse and Majirel systems". Naming the technique and the brand shows you know the craft and the product.
Action verbs for hairdressers
Technical delivery: Perform, deliver, complete, apply, execute, formulate, blend, section, tone.
Client-facing: Consult, advise, recommend, build (client base), retain, rebook.
Commercial: Increase, grow, generate, upsell, achieve (rebooking rate, revenue target).
Leadership (senior level): Train, mentor, supervise, manage, lead, coach, develop.
Operational (senior level): Order, track, audit, negotiate, schedule, reduce (wastage, overrun).
Key skills & ATS keywords
Hard skills
Soft skills
ATS keywords
Education & certifications
NVQ Level 2 and Level 3: the qualifications salons scan for
List your NVQ level explicitly. "NVQ Level 2 Diploma in Hairdressing" and "NVQ Level 3 Diploma in Hairdressing" are the Hair Council-recognised credentials UK salons look for.
- NVQ Level 2 covers client consultation, shampooing and conditioning, cutting (wet and dry), blow-drying, colouring and lightening, and salon health and safety. It's the entry qualification for a junior stylist role.
- NVQ Level 3 adds creative cutting, creative colour and lightening techniques, advanced styling, and the consultation and formulation skills expected of a senior stylist.
If you completed your NVQ via City & Guilds or VTCT, state that. If you did an apprenticeship, mention the training provider in brackets.
Brand certifications
Brand certifications prove you're trained on the colour system the salon uses. List them in the Achievements section:
- L'Oréal Professionnel (Balayage, Color Fusion, Dia Richesse)
- Wella (ColorTouch, Koleston Perfect, Illumina)
- Redken (Color Fusion, Shades EQ)
- Schwarzkopf (BlondMe, Igora)
- Olaplex (Salon Intro)
Many salons are tied to one brand house. If you're certified on their system, you're a faster hire.
Specialist short courses
Add short courses that prove a niche skill:
- Bridal and occasion styling
- Barbering and men's grooming
- Afro and textured hair styling
- Hair extensions (tape-in, micro-ring, weave)
- Keratin and smoothing treatments
These go in Education or Achievements, whichever reads better.
First aid
Emergency First Aid at Work is a small plus. It shows you take health and safety seriously and can handle a salon emergency (burns, cuts, fainting clients). Add it to Achievements if you have it.
Common mistakes to avoid
Using a generic "Hairdresser" title instead of a specialisation-led header.
Lead with your niche: "Advanced Colourist | Balayage Specialist" or "Senior Hair Stylist | Cutting & Styling Expert". Salons hire for the gap in their rota, and a niche title makes you the obvious fit.
Listing vague "hair skills" instead of naming the techniques you deliver.
Be specific: "balayage, foil highlights, colour correction, keratin treatments, hair extensions, men's barbering". Naming the service lets the salon match you to their menu.
Writing duty-focused bullets like "responsible for cutting and colouring clients".
Quantify the result: "Deliver cutting, colouring and styling services to 15-18 clients per week, maintaining a 78% rebooking rate and column revenue of £1,200 weekly."
Omitting rebooking rate and retail sales metrics.
Rebooking and retail are the numbers salon owners care about. Add them: "Improved rebooking rate from 58% to 74%" or "Increased retail sales by 23% through product recommendations."
Forgetting to name the salon booking software you've used.
List the systems: Phorest, Salon Iris, Fresha, Timely. Salons want to know you won't need retraining on the till and appointment book.
Leaving out your portfolio link.
Hairdressing is visual. Add your Instagram or TikTok handle in the header and Additional Info. Before-and-after photos prove skill faster than any bullet point.
Junior vs senior: what changes
| Aspect | Junior | Senior |
|---|---|---|
| Personal statement | Leads with NVQ Level 2, names one or two core services (cutting, colour application), and shows understanding of rebooking or retail. | Leads with years of experience, niche specialism (balayage, bridal, barbering), brand certifications, and a strong rebooking or revenue metric. |
| Experience bullets | Focus on building a client base, assisting senior stylists, learning techniques, and hitting rebooking targets (60-70%). | Focus on column revenue, high rebooking rates (75-85%), retail growth, mentoring juniors, and salon management duties (stock, rotas, KPIs). |
| Technical skills | Cutting, blow-drying, tint application, foil highlights, shampooing, one or two brand trainings (e.g. Wella ColorTouch). | Advanced balayage, colour correction, creative cutting, bridal styling, extensions, multiple brand certifications (L'Oréal, Redken, Schwarzkopf). |
| Achievements | NVQ Level 2, one brand certification, first aid, maybe a charity cut event. | NVQ Level 3, multiple brand certifications, competition placements, fashion-show or photoshoot work, first aid. |
| Client volume and revenue | 8-12 clients per week, building a regular base of 10-20 repeat clients, modest retail contribution. | 12-18 clients per week, established column of 50-70 regulars, £1,200-£1,600 weekly column revenue, significant retail sales growth. |
| Portfolio | Instagram or TikTok with 20-50 posts showing cuts, colours and styling work. Follower count less important than variety and finish quality. | Instagram or TikTok with 100+ posts, including bridal work, colour transformations, competition entries. 2,000+ followers signals an established personal brand. |