Cosmetics Industry

[Supre]

Is any one of you cotters out there working in a cosmestic company like L'Oreal, Estee Lauder or even SaSa? Please share your experience as I am really keen to switch over to this industry... (I mean, working in their offices, not as their counter beauticians.)

p/s: I've got a friend working in Clarins... That is my nearest contact with the cosmestic world.

[Supre]

Come'on... This is a beauty forum, surely there are some of you out there working in comestic company... I have hear that gals working in international brands are really tough gals. Just wanna hear some views.

[rbet]

I have a friend working in Estee lauder. There is two ways to break in:

1. Start off as temp and wait for perm position.

2. Start off as brand assistant (but they recruited 2 months ago) and you can go up to marketing exec.

She loves the people at estee, seems like a good place to work. Good luck!

[ahmay1218]

hmmm.. may i know what is the job scope of brand assistant?

[Demigoddess]

Its isnt easy getting into the Cosmetic industry.
alot of relevant experience counts

[m3lody]

Many renowed brands like Lancome, Prescriptive, Sk2 etc need professional makeups experience. I have several friends working in this line, seems not easy as a start off I think. Seems like if you wanted to get into reputable brands need to have make up cert.

[rbet]

brand assistant will take on about 4 brands and he/she will be in charge of setting up cosmetic counters, hiring SAs, organizing roadshows etc. IMHO, very entry evel and has absolutely NOTHING to do with branding. It's just a nice title.

[natnatviv]

as far as i know, u need to work as a SA at least for a while before u can move up into the corporate office.
that is unless u are exceptionally good and have relevant experience of retail and such.

i guess it never hurts to try

[ahmay1218]

the job scope of brand assistant seems nice. to switch to this too...

[Supre]

Wow... thks for all your info. Seems really demanding, even with a marketing degree u can't penetrate into their corporate is it? It's a must to have SA experience at their counters?

I wouldn't mind if this can get to my goal but my dad would have slaughtered me if I go serve counters despite having a degree..

[natnatviv]

i think it is part of the traineeship they call
i guess it is a good way to learn as well


note: all macdonalds staff has to start from the bottom, before they move up the ladder

[celinne]

Originally posted by Winkie
I wouldn't mind if this can get to my goal but my dad would have slaughtered me if I go serve counters despite having a degree..

My parents will me too. They just can't accept it.

[rbet]

My Friend from estee lauder says it's not true that it's a must to start serving from the counters. They do hire fresh graduates or marketing people with experience during recruitment.

It's a tough industry to break into, you need to know the right people, have the capability and alot of LUCK.

[princess_lea]

It's definitely not a must to start serving at counters but IMO, managers or "office people" who have worked at counters will have a less difficult time understanding the job scope & requirements and generally get along better with colleagues at counters too. After working for 1yr + at counters, this was what I noted. I mentally did a comparison between office staff who have worked at counters vs those who haven't and I realised how much I preferred working with people who have. They know what should be done when things go wrong and their response time's much faster. Experience counts - ALOT.

I agree with demigoddess that it isnt easy to get into this industry, but surviving well in this one's even tougher.

[loves]

Originally posted by Winkie
my dad would have slaughtered me if I go serve counters despite having a degree..

maybe this explains the attitude of some people's horrendous attitude to "counter salesgirls" ie the assumption tha people who work behind the counter have to be lowly educated and the work they do is not befitting to degree holders. *sigh*


in every industry you have to start at the bottom, that piece of paper means nothing if you have no experience and inkling of what goes on behind the counters


maybe you can explain this to your father and you can go ahead and pursue your dream job in peace then again you don't really need counter experience. i've seen lots of "management trainees" manning counters for some hands on experience.