Make-up artist to hair stylist
A make-up artist already meets 50% of what the hair stylist role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.
51.4/ 100
1 How much of what a hair stylist is expected to do is already part of a make-up artist’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the hair stylist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A hair stylist role treats 8 of its required skills as things a make-up artist already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- analyse a script
- analyse the need for technical resources
- ensure continuous styling of artists
- finish project within budget
- follow directions of the artistic director
- follow work schedule
What stands in the way is 8 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 15 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A hair stylist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a make-up artist background worth leading with.
- already held draft styling schedule management skills
- already held ensure continuous styling of artists assisting and caring
- already held maintain wigs handling and moving
- already held work with the director of photography communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held lighting techniques arts and humanities
- already held follow directions of the artistic director communication, collaboration and creativity
All 15 carried skills, including the 8 the hair stylist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 15 missing skills fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn apply hair cutting techniques required
- still to learn perform quick hair changeovers required
- still to learn dye hair required
- still to learn style hair required
- optional, not held dye wigs optional
- optional, not held design hair style optional
- still to learn consult with production director required
- still to learn familiarise with personal directing styles required
- optional, not held create wigs optional
- optional, not held order supplies optional
- still to learn keep up with trends required
- still to learn hairdressing required
- optional, not held decide on wig making process optional
- optional, not held manage technical resources stock optional
- optional, not held history of hair styles optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a hair stylist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 apply hair cutting techniques practise this
- 02 consult with production director practise this
- 03 familiarise with personal directing styles practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 15 skills that carry over
- already held analyse a script skill
- already held analyse the need for technical resources skill
- already held ensure continuous styling of artists skill
- already held finish project within budget skill
- already held follow directions of the artistic director skill
- already held follow work schedule skill
- already held translate artistic concepts to technical designs skill
- already held work safely with chemicals skill
- already held attend rehearsals skill
- already held draft styling schedule skill
- already held lighting techniques knowledge
- already held maintain wigs skill
- already held manage consumables stock skill
- already held photography knowledge
- already held work with the director of photography skill
7 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held history of hair styles optional
- optional, not held create wigs optional
- optional, not held decide on wig making process optional
- optional, not held dye wigs optional
- optional, not held manage technical resources stock optional
- optional, not held design hair style optional
- optional, not held order supplies optional
39 held skills the hair stylist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role adapt to artists' creative demands skill
- not needed by the target role advise client on technical possibilities skill
- not needed by the target role apply body paint skill
- not needed by the target role art history knowledge
- not needed by the target role contextualise artistic work skill
- not needed by the target role cosmetics knowledge
- not needed by the target role create lifecasts skill
- not needed by the target role decide on make-up process skill
- not needed by the target role define artistic approach skill
- not needed by the target role design make-up effects skill
- not needed by the target role determine skin type skill
- not needed by the target role develop artistic educational activities skill
- not needed by the target role develop artistic project budgets skill
- not needed by the target role develop educational resources skill
- not needed by the target role develop professional network skill
- not needed by the target role develop the look of a production skill
- not needed by the target role document your own practice skill
- not needed by the target role draw make-up sketches skill
- not needed by the target role gather reference materials for artwork skill
- not needed by the target role keep personal administration skill
- not needed by the target role maintain prostheses skill
- not needed by the target role make up performing artists skill
- not needed by the target role make-up techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role manage personal professional development skill
- not needed by the target role participate in artistic mediation activities skill
- not needed by the target role perform quick make-up changeovers skill
- not needed by the target role plan art educational activities skill
- not needed by the target role prepare personal work environment skill
- not needed by the target role present exhibition skill
- not needed by the target role prevent fire in a performance environment skill
- not needed by the target role repair prostheses skill
- not needed by the target role safeguard artistic quality of performance skill
- not needed by the target role skin types knowledge
- not needed by the target role test make-up skill
- not needed by the target role understand artistic concepts skill
- not needed by the target role work ergonomically skill
- not needed by the target role work with respect for own safety skill
- not needed by the target role work with the camera crew skill
- not needed by the target role work with the lighting crew skill
2 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn hairdressing required
- optional, not held history of hair styles optional
Common questions about this move
Can a make-up artist become a hair stylist?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A make-up artist already covers 50% of what a hair stylist is expected to do: 15 skills carry over, 8 of which the hair stylist role treats as required.
What skills does a make-up artist need to become a hair stylist?
8 required skills are missing, plus 7 optional ones. They fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by assisting and caring. The single most important is apply hair cutting techniques.
How hard is the move from make-up artist to hair stylist?
Its learning distance is 51.4 out of 100, which is the moderate band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.