Femme Economics: The Beauty of School
Waxing, Facials, Body Scrubs. It’s amazing when people take time out of their schedules to treat themselves well. It has always been a crazy dream to one day open up my own eco-sustainable, organic spa. So I have been researching, that’s right’¦beauty school! An Esthetician program, to be exact. Cheaper than hair-cosmetology school, and even more marketable. It looks like we’re headed for a recession and it feels like we’re already there. I’m not sure I’m going to do it, but school is the right place for the under-employed when times are tough.
It started because as you may have read in my last post, I decided I needed a job to supplement my Life Coaching practice. Where I could always get a great paying job in less than two days whenever I wanted one; for some reason, it was a little harder during the holidays and in an economic slump.
The truth is that I am overqualified for the work I used to do. Plus, people have cut down their spending so that my usual Household Manager/Nanny Extraordinaire and Personal Assistant jobs are going for about three dollars less per hour than I am used to. (I wish I could remember the French phrase here for ‘œhow depressing!’. ) So, instead of settling for less than I am worth and feeling like a sucker to the world of finances, I began contemplating going back to school, of all types.- and this way I am hopefully more or differently skilled when the economy gets on it’s feet again.
Sure, I could get my Masters in Mental Health or Child and Family = $52,000 in 2.5 years.
But I am just not sure I want to create that much debt. Couldn’t I do that later in life more slowly, when I can pay out of pocket? And truthfully, the clinical jobs to get after leaving that program pay very little and building a therapy practice that brings in the dough takes years.
Or I could do the Esthetician program around the corner from my house = $8,000 in 6 months.
Sell my car. And get out of the program quickly with ‘œmad skills’ which I can cross-over with my Life-Coaching practice! Graduates of programs which involve contact ‘œvocational skills’ are easily placed into jobs- jobs I see advertisements for all the time, including some 100 percent commission at smaller spas, and otherwise at least $20/hr. I have even calculated this to mean that I could make more money full-time as a beginning facialist than I would as a beginning therapist.
The point is- if you are financially down and out during a recession- There is Beauty in School-(or in my case, Beauty School). A recession is also a great time to take out student loans, since interest rates drop to very low levels as the government attempts to stimulate the economy. (There are non-FAFSA federal programs for adults getting certifications, just talk to your institution’s counselor). There is no shame in living off of loans for a short while if you are bettering yourself for future gainful employment.
Moorea: This is smart and well-thought plan. Penelope Trunk wrote a post yesterday day that offered a few other suggestions about what to do in case of a recession: “Here are four ways to prepare for a job market that might turn sour.” Top of the list is to specialize. Looks like you’re on to something!
Moorea, congrats! Do it! If we were at all local to each other, I’d totally work at your organic, eco-friendly spa.