You and the Spa Profession: The Growth of Spas Makes New Opportunities Available

Do you visit the "spa"? Most likely, the answer is "yes". The calming, restoring, and reviving properties of a spa are not only for the wealthy and well known -- spas are now a large business, taking care of all people from adolescents preparing for the prom to the business professional on a lunch break. According to the International Spa Association (ISPA), the rapidly-growing spa industry produces revenue of $9.7 billion annually.

In the last decade, an exponential growth has taken place in the spa world, and they are scrambling to fill vacant spots for beauty specialists like nail technicians, estheticians, cosmetologists, and others. Spa professionals are frequently enlisted when a new spa opens or older spa expands, with new spas opening in areas like foreign tropical islands or active ski resorts.

For individuals who have the goal of working in the beauty profession or who currently work in this field, this implies that employment opportunities will increase very rapidly in the United States. Employment for beauty professionals will increase by 14 percent by 2016, according to the Department of Labor. Much of this demand is due to the growth in full service day spas.

Although the economy is shaky, people still come to the spa because they don't want to give up the beauty treatments that make them appear beautiful and feel great. One spa professional says that people "... may not splurge on fancy vacations or a new car, but they faithfully knead, scrub, and exfoliate their stress away at beauty salons and day spas." One in every four Americans has visited a spa, says the ISPA, with new customers arriving every day, eventually becoming loyal customers who see their personal care and treatments as a necessity.

Today spas are opening everywhere; you can find them in local malls, departmental stores, cruise ships, health clubs, hotels, sports organizations, and even in medical clinics. A typical spa would offer facials, massages, waxing, body treatments, and skin exfoliation. The spa business now focuses on holistic health and beauty methods, and this means that both women and men that are receiving different kinds of beauty care, including manicures after they get off work and hair treatments that help them relax.

This puts hair stylists, colorists, massage therapists, make-up artists, nail technicians, and other cosmetologists, in very high demand. However, the spa industry is not demanding unskilled workers at the same rate. It does not matter if it is a boutique, hotel, or a five-star resort, spa experts have a lot of experience and direct contact working in the spa area, since they have been trained at accredited beauty schools. Spa employers expect that beauty professionals will also have very good people skills, since customer service is an integral part of building and maintaining a clientele.

Spas have come a long way from the ancient mineral springs plunges of our ancestors. In those days, spas were not only healing sanctuaries but also social centers. In the US, the spa industry is the fourth largest leisure industry with larger numbers of people enjoying the spa experience every day.

Going to a spa is a way of life now; a pleasant getaway, a relaxing journey, and an experience that is good for your health. Are you one of the people who "spa"? Now is the time to become a spa professional, not just to enjoy spa services.

ABOUT SALON SUCCESS ACADEMIES (SSA)

Salon Success Academies have five campuses located in California's Inland Empire: Redlands, Fontana, Upland, San Bernardino, and Corona. SSA's philosophy is to treat each student as a part of the family, providing them with every opportunity to complete their studies at the lowest cost possible. SSA combines hands-on practical application with cosmetology, skin care, or nail technology concepts. The school partners with the beauty industry to enable students to graduate with technical excellence in their profession as well as strong customer service skills.

To learn more and request free information, visit www.gotobeautyschool.com.