How Some Online Makeup Academies Can Hurt Your Makeup Career - QC Makeup Academy

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If you want to have a successful career in makeup, your first priority should be acquiring proper training, and thankfully there are many traditional and online schools available. It’s just not possible to start a career as a makeup artist without the right tools and knowledge under your belt, and an online makeup course is a wonderful option for busy professionals. However, just because an online makeup academy seems legitimate and claims to educate aspiring makeup artists doesn’t mean it can’t be a damaging experience. We’re sorry to be so blunt!

Don’t fret — read on to find out how some online makeup academies can actually hurt your makeup career instead of propelling you to success in the field, and learn what to avoid as you shop around..

You get no support

Let’s face it – even the best makeup artists need to start somewhere! As you begin your online makeup course, you’re inevitably going to have questions. Maybe you’re stuck on an assignment and want to find out if you’re on the right track. Or perhaps, you need clarification on a certain detail of your course guide. Whatever it is, your online makeup school needs to have a system that will provide you with answers – and quickly.

makeup brushes and color palettes

Without a strong student support team, students are set up to fail. By a “strong” support team, we mean one that is available 7 days a week, at most hours of the day, and reachable by phone, email, or a live chat system. If you’re unable to ask questions and make sure you’re on the right track, how can you possibly expect to learn, grow, and eventually be successful in your career?

The support from your makeup school will go hand-in-hand with guidance from your tutor. But as a student, you should also always have access to a support team as you complete your assignments and work through your course guides. Support teams also need to have prompt response times, showing they care about your experience and success. This way, you’ll feel confident about the assignments you’re completing, what you’re learning, and you’ll be even more motivated to succeed.

There are no credentials or reviews to be found

These days, it’s difficult to keep a high-quality product (or school) a secret. With social media, websites, and old fashioned word-of-mouth, you’re bound to find a list of the top online makeup schools via Google. Good news travels quickly, and graduates will be quick to share their fabulous experiences on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and as testimonials on the school’s website. Keeping this in mind, beware of schools with less-than-stellar reviews (or a small amount of reviews), as well as those without any accreditation.

Full disclosure – the institution you choose to enroll at should have a high rating with the Better Business Bureau, which demonstrates consumer satisfaction and demonstrates that they have an honest and fair reputation amongst students. After all, you’re spending your hard-earned money on tuition, and your career as a makeup artist is at stake. You want your experience to be as amazing and educational as possible!

makeup student applying makeup to client

Without a good reputation or accreditation, an online makeup school cannot offer much to students and graduates. And you can bet that upon receiving your makeup artist certification, employers and clients will be curious about the school you attended. Aim for the best when choosing an online makeup school – you want to look back and be proud of where you received your training, and you want others to recognize your accomplishment as well!

No discounts, course materials or career resources

This is really the trifecta of features that a good online makeup academy will offer its students. High-quality online schools know how tricky it can be for newbies to stock their makeup kits, and will offer their students well-discounted products to help them out. After all, you should be able to succeed without breaking the bank!

Along the same vein, you should receive a physical package of course materials from your online makeup academy, containing items such as course texts, assignments, and a starter makeup kit. They’ll want you to have all the tools you need upon beginning your course. Finally, why else would you be pursuing a career as a makeup artist besides hoping to land your dream job? Career resources such as help with resume-writing, the ability to network with other students and professionals, and access to job boards are invaluable tools for aspiring makeup artists.

Keep your standards high when researching online makeup academies, and don’t settle for schools that don’t offer this trifecta of features (or at least some semblance of this). A highly-regarded makeup school will offer you discounts on professional products and provide you with all the tools and resources you need to achieve success in the industry. Don’t be fooled by academic institutions that don’t have anything to offer their students.

You’ll likely end up shelling out a large amount of money on products, need to buy your own course materials, and end up totally alone when it comes to landing your dream job. I mean, aren’t you worth the best?

makeup artists applying makeup at makeup business

A lack of business training

The majority of newly certified makeup artists start their careers working freelance. This is a great way to start, as you’ll work on a variety of faces and grow your clientele base. Eventually, though, you’ll likely want to be your own boss. Owning your own business is not only extremely attractive, it’s seriously lucrative! The thing is, you’ll need business training in order to make this dream a reality, and the online makeup academy you choose needs to offer it as part of their curriculum.

Certain makeup courses have units specifically focused on starting a business, teaching you how to name and register your business, set up your office, do your taxes, write a business plan, and more. Believe us – you’ll want to start your career as a makeup artist armed with this business savvy. This is why we recommend steering clear of makeup schools that don’t offer business training.

You should definitely be learning a thing or two about how to successfully start and manage a business, even if you don’t intend to be your own boss in the future. Not having some business training under your belt can hurt your career as a makeup artist, so be sure to make the right choice when selecting a course.

Is QC Makeup Academy right for you? Find out how it strives to be the best, and get inspired!

Author Victoria Begin

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Join the discussion 26 Comments

  • LaToya Mason says:

    QC was a great choice for me!! I love the flexibility and I’m learning so much!!

  • Carolyn Brown says:

    I am so excited to enroll in the Master Makeup Artistry course!

  • Alexandra says:

    Some grrat points here! The amount of support I have had via QC has been great and ferdback more helpful than my friends who do face to face courses here in Brisbane! The business components are also critical and a huge help in taking that step to freelance! Great article!

  • Jessikyle says:

    Im really excited with your course, like every night i do my school works with you after work is done ❤
    I feel that my makeup skills will upgrade and improve❤
    Hopefully someday I can represent your school ❤

  • Corrina says:

    I’d greatly appreciate to win!
    Xoxoxo

  • Corrina McBride says:

    I’d greatly appreciate to win!
    Xoxoxo
    Makeup is life

  • Emma Churcher says:

    I can honestly say I am pleasantly surprised at how good the Master Make up Artistry course is. I have only completed unit A so far but I have been blown over by the support and how easy it is to get answers to your questions. My first unit was marked so quickly too. Would 100% reccomend. To anyone thinking about taking on this course… DO IT. I’m certainly glad I have!

  • Emily Burns says:

    Awesome post! Love QC, enrolled in 2 courses

  • Falisha Xquisite says:

    I’m a current student almost finishing unit B. I’m very happy I made the decision of enrolling into this school. It is guiding me as to how to apply makeup, the right way. I can’t wait to continue on with the courses and possibly continue expanding my knowledge of makeup artistry by enrolling in more courses .

  • LaMonica Williams says:

    I am loving my Master makeup course! It is so fun and I can’t wait until I finish so I can get my certificate! I am trying to take the six month route in stead of the three years lol!

  • Leanne Bain says:

    I am loving the Makeup Artistry Mastercourse. I love that it’s flexible and self paced. The online videos are very helpful and information is relevant.
    This blogpost makes me see that it’s relevant to have business training and I’m so glad I have started and continue to do the business training within my course and for choosing QC Makeup Academy.
    Thanks for the opportunity to win the Too Faced gift pack.

  • Danielle Gomez says:

    Wow I had no idea of half this. I’m glad I picked the right school! #QC!

  • Patricia Blankenship says:

    I am so excited to get started! I have been saving money to start school and I have chosen to take school from you guys!

  • Madeleine Tuionetoa says:

    I thought the same about QCMA at the start but when I looked deeper into the school I saw that there really was a care for us that most other online schools don’t have which is so amazing! Been so happy doing my 3 courses at the moment

  • Jenna Kleinig says:

    I have been studying with QC Makeup Academy since August in the Master Makeup Artistry course and I love it! I’m almost finished which is super exciting! Can’t wait to say I’m a fully qualified makeup artist!

  • Chelsea Kroh says:

    I’ve been really happy with QC. The format is amazing and I love that I get a vocal response from the instructors. I am enrolled in two courses currently, and I can’t wait to take more.

  • Stephanie says:

    I love the Master Makeup Artistry course! It works with my schedule and I am learning so much! I am so grateful to be in this course!
    I would absolutely recommend QC Makeup Academy.

  • Elkie says:

    i’m so happy i chose QC to study makeup. i get so excited to do my work and i can’t wait till i finish my Master Makeup course so i can start my SFX one.

  • Gabriela says:

    Can someone tell me about their experience.. im interested in enrolled but afraid of not learning enough.
    Help:)

    • Corina Wan says:

      Hi Gabriela, thank you for your interest in QC Makeup Academy! All of our courses are very comprehensive, and you would have lifetime access to your course resources and materials. We also constantly update our course content– which would be available to you through our Online Student Center. Although your work is completed online, your tutor would give you detailed and personalized feedback after every unit! You can read some of our student and graduate features here: https://www.qcmakeupacademy.com/category/student-features/

      Or you can read our Facebook reviews to learn even more about our student experience: https://www.facebook.com/pg/QCMakeupAcademy/reviews/

      Please let me know if you have any other questions! 🙂

  • Shelby g says:

    Great post

  • Bailey Mcdonald says:

    I love the course I’m in, I want everything to be perfect! Plus they really give you time to complete it, I’m only on the secon unit and in the master of makeup artistry but I work everyday, trying to find time is hard but with having three year to finish really takes the stress off!!

  • Tamara hooper says:

    I cant wait to enrol tonight! As soon as my pay come in i am signing on for the master and sfx classes!

  • Ivanka Beytell says:

    Qc makeup Academy had been absolutely great!
    I’ve learned so much already and they team are supper supportive and are always quick to get back to you on any enquiries.

  • Ale Santana says:

    It has been great learning from QC’s experts and growing as a MUA with you. Thank you for all. I’d love to win the giveaway to have more material to create new makeup looks 🙂

  • Mallory Sholar says:

    Would love to try QC Makeup courses!

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