Milady Training

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Expert Career Advice ➜ Building a Future ➜ 6 Ways to Make Time for Continuing Education

Beauty school might be in the rear-view mirror, but that doesn't mean you should stop learning. Ask any successful beauty professional the key to their success, and we can almost guarantee that you'll hear them mention the importance of continuing education. 

In fact, continuing education can help you . . . 

• Increase your earning potential 
• Gain confidence 
• Develop new skills 
• Maintain your professional license 
• Expand your network 
• Keep your mind sharp 
• Have tons of fun 

(Take a deeper dive into these and other benefits of continuing education.) 

OK, we know what you might be thinking: How are you supposed to find the time to take a continuing education course? Fear not, beauty pro! We've got you covered. Check out the tips below. 

1. Choose a path that supports how you like to learn. 

Maybe you love the ease of online learning at your own pace. Or perhaps you love the camaraderie of in-person settings during a conference or trade show. Or maybe you like a combo approach. 

As we like to say, you do you! Embrace how you enjoy learning and seek out those opportunities. Because the more you enjoy the format, the more likely you are to retain the knowledge—and to keep coming back for more. 

Need a place to start? Browse all of Milady Training's continuing education offerings. 

2. Don't dismiss informal learning opportunities or opportunities that don't require a ton of time. 

Does watching a 10-minute YouTube tutorial on a cool new skill count as learning—even if it's not "official" with grading and course credits? YES. Learning is learning. 

While formal continuing ed courses will always be valuable (and required by certain states when renewing licenses), sometimes it's so much easier to squeeze in a 10-minute YouTube video before going to bed or a last-minute webinar on a slow afternoon than it is to commit to a full-blown course. 

We get it. The good news is that everything we described above counts as learning. So don't worry too much about whether something qualifies as continuing education. If you've learned something, you've learned something, whether it's from an Instagram influencer or an official instructor. 

3. Block time on your calendar. 

We mean this literally! Whatever type of calendar system you use—Google Calendar, Outlook, an app on your phone, or a physical Day-Timer—block out a slot each week that you devote to continuing education.

As we noted above, it doesn't have to be a huge time sink, either. Maybe every Friday during your lunch break, you watch a video, read an article, or do some formal coursework. The great thing about so many continuing education courses is that you can do the assignments whenever it's convenient for you. 

4. Honor your calendar as sacred time.

It's so easy to allow those things that we do to improve ourselves—like the gym, continuing education, or hobbies—to fall by the wayside when something else comes up that's seemingly more urgent. Sure, emergencies happen. But beyond some sort of life-and-death scenario, there's no reason not to honor the time you've booked on your calendar to better yourself. 

We know this can be easier said than done, especially if you have kids, spouses, pets, and other family members vying for your attention or requiring immediate assistance. 

But again, if you don't treat your "you" time as sacred, how are you ever going to train the other people in your life to respect your "you" time? 

5. Get an accountability partner. 

Have you ever noticed how it's easier to make it to the gym when you have a friend waiting for you there? The same concept can apply to continuing education. 

You likely have colleagues who are interested in bettering themselves, too. Hook up with one of them and serve as each other's accountability partner. Check in regularly to share goals, cheer each other on, and monitor each other's progress. 

Your accountability partner doesn't necessarily have to be someone in the beauty industry, either. It could be a friend or family member who—like you—needs a buddy to hold them accountable for the things they're trying to accomplish professionally and personally. 

6. Just do it. 

If you've been thinking about starting a new course, registering for a webinar, or attending a conference, take this as a sign to JUST DO IT. Often, the hardest part is simply getting started. So on your mark . . . get set . . . GO! You got this, beauty pro! Good luck.