Image Consultant Jobs

Do you ever worry about how you look? Have you ever wanted to make a second first impression? Many people are self conscious about how people perceive them and enlist a professional image consultant to help.

Image consultants work with individuals to improve a person’s image by changing their physical appearance, behaviors, and communication skills. It is a fun field that changes people’s lives for the better. People use image consultants to land a job, impress the ladies, get a promotion, or just because. No matter who you are there is always room for improvement.

An image consultant’s goal is make people feel better. When someone hires an image consultant, the focus is entirely on what the customer wants. Image consultants concentrate on what is best for a client, while considering the person’s personality, career, lifestyle, and goals. They work with a variety of people and must be open minded and well versed in acceptable trends.

After an image consultant establishes what the client wants, they get busy focusing on three things – physical appearance, behaviors, and communication.

All three of these things play major roles in how people relate to you.

Physical appearance involves several aspects. The day may start with tossing things from the closet, then shopping for new clothes, and building the perfect wardrobe. This includes looking at styles, trends, and color choices. The next step is hairstyle, makeup, and grooming. Image consultants may send people to dentists, trainers, nutritionists, or even plastic surgeons to achieve perfection.
See related: Makeup Jobs section.

The goal is to get someone to be visually stunning, whether for a MTV premiere or for a corporate job interview.

Behavior and communication skills can also make or break a person. Behaviors include things like picking your nose, fidgeting, or slouching. Fixing these things will make the client appear more professional and focused. Image consultants also coach people on communication skills. That’s right – no more “likes” or “umms.” They advise on vocabulary, grammar, eye contact, manners, and etiquette.

Professional image consultants can fix the whole package. That is why they work with job seekers, elected officials, professionals, executives, and TV personalities. Gotta make ’em look good for the paparazzi! They are helping people in the public eye look and feel good.

One way to learn this trade is to watch ABC’s Extreme Makeover. The best way is to start with friends and family. Survival in this field is dependent on recommendations and homegrown marketing techniques like before and after photos and videos. Success in this field is up to you. Every client counts and every client helps build your reputation.

One way to boost your reputation is to earn certifications through the Associations of Image Consultants International (AICI). There are three levels – First Level, Image Professional, and Image Master.

Apprenticeships with established image consultants are also very helpful. The key is to gain experience through quality work.

Most image consultants are self-employed and work with individual clients or work with an image consulting agency. There is also work with groups, conferences, department stores, and presentations. Some image consultants work with big companies to help pick uniforms. This is an entrepreneurial profession that gives you flexible hours, your own business, and client control. Image consultants can be paid $50 to $500 per session and can make anywhere from or $20,000 to $75,000 per year. The average salary is $39,000.

Image consulting is a growing field. Many people are obsessed with how they appear to the public. A successful image consultant can help both men and women fit in and feel good. Everyone can benefit from a makeover. It will bring out the best in you.

Quick Facts About Image Consulting Work

Job Title: Image Consultant, Wardrobe Consultant, Fashion Advisor
Office: Working with individuals
Description: Improve person’s image through changes in communication techniques, wardrobe choice, and body language
Certifications/Education: No formal education required, AICI Certification Recommended
Necessary Skills: Eye for fashion, trends, image, People person
Potential Employers: Self-employed, Image Consultant Agency
Pay: Paid per session, $20,000 to $75,000 per year, average is $39,000

Helpful Image Consultant Employment Links:

Search Image Consultant and Other Consultant Jobs on JobMonkey
Associations of Image Consultants International
Image Consulting: The New Career by Joan Timberlake
London Image Institute
World Association of Image Consultants