I have a problem with getting back into school. I also have a problem with how I should write my experience at school into a resume for maximum employability. If you can help me, please do. This keeps me up every night.
I went to a makeup art school. At my school, the course was broken down into different modules, where you could only miss 10% of any given module without being forced to repeat it. A module was something like Intro to Make-up, or Fashion Make-up, or Make-up for TV and Film.
I moved out to Vancouver from Nova Scotia to go to this school. I lived with my aunt and uncle, who were absolutely batshit insane, pardon my French. But it was my aunt who pushed me to get into the school, and it was she who initially contacted them and secretly set up the interview for me. She surprised me with it. I had no idea what she said to the school. This becomes important later.
Now, I never got my diploma from the school, and here’s why:
I didn’t finish three modules.
The first module I missed, Cosmetic Retailing, I didn’t finish because there was a field trip, and literally half the class got lost on the way there because we didn’t know our way around Vancouver. Yes, I know, it’s stupid. Please don’t berate me for this, I’ve berated myself enough for it. I wouldn’t have gotten lost if I’d taken the bus, but I accepted a ride, and that’s what brought me down. So I wasn’t driving, but I was in one of the cars that got lost. We got even more lost when a classmate phoned to say she was also lost and needed us to go back and find her so she could follow us. We missed the field trip, and as punishment, the teacher didn’t let us present our final projects. I learned everything necessary in the module, and I did actually finish the project - I just didn’t present it in front of the class, and neither did half the class. I’ll revisit this project later in the post.
The second module, Resume Preparation and Job Search Skills, I didn’t finish because I went to Mexico and missed one day. I did, however, get advance permission from the school to do this and they scheduled me to finish the other day at a later date.
Now this one is the real troublesome spot. I was right alongside the rest of the class… until I got to my last module, Special Effects. I had developed an ulcer at this time and it was bleeding, and though I tried to go to school anyway, I wound up crying in class and the teacher sent me home. Not in a stern manner, but in a “gee, you’re really sick and should really be worrying about your health first” manner.
So I went to the office, and told the program director I needed to leave Special Effects because I had missed three days, which was more than 10%. Now, apparently I phrased this incorrectly because she assumed I was dropping out of the course, when all I wanted to do was rearrange another time to finish it. Other girls in my class had gotten sick and had no problems with this, but apparently I’m a different case. So she took this as a verbal withdrawal.
When I contacted her a week later asking when I could make up the time, she acted very surprised and told me I had effectively dropped out. News to me.
So we had a few meetings, during which she told me that if I was re-accepted, I’d have to pay again for the modules I missed. I have, of course, already paid, but that doesn’t matter.
During this period of time, I was moving out of the batshit aunt and uncle’s house and in with my boyfriend. I had only been with him for five months, but I needed to get out of my aunt and uncle’s house. They insulted me all the time and basically treated me horribly. I would feel physically sick going home there after school and would hang around school as long as possible after it ended. (I actually wonder if they aggravated my ulcer.) I had also recently gotten a new job, it was part-time and had a flexible schedule because I thought I’d still be going to school.
During these meetings with the program director, I was told that I was no longer considered stable enough to be re-accepted because I had moved in with my boyfriend, and then I was told that I was only accepted in the first place because they thought my aunt would be “sponsoring” me. I don’t know where they got that idea. I paid for everything with a student loan and by myself with savings. She also told me that moving in with my boyfriend was irresponsible and that I needed to straighten my life up before I could go back to school, and that since I had just gotten a new job that made me even more unstable. She said she hoped to see me at that job “six months from now!” (This was last March, and I still have the same job and live with the same boyfriend.)
My original plan was to live with my boyfriend only temporarily until I found a roommate. When I told her this, she was very relieved and seemed to insinuate that I would be more likely to get in if I didn’t live with him and if I was independent. However, I found I liked living with him so I stayed here. I feel this may actually lower my chances of getting back in.
And one of the most infuriating things she’s said to me was that I should get checked out for Asperger’s syndrome. Admittedly, I can come off as awkward and have trouble looking people in the eyes when I talk to them, but I do forge on ahead anyway and I’m really fine with the way I am! She’s not a psychologist, so I don’t know where she gets off saying this. It really bothered me that she was daring to make statements about my mental state.
My other classmates who got lost that day were allowed to present their projects at a later date, as originally planned. I was not. I was not allowed to finish the Resume Preparation module I had gotten permission to finish before I went to Mexico. That leaves three modules unfinished, though two are only by a hair.
My plan so far is this: I need a better paying job (or a second job), so I can save up at least $2000, and I can go back to the school and tell them I’m “stable” so please let me back in! I’ve pretty much accepted that I’m going to have to repay at least $2000, but I’ve already paid $10000 and I have nothing to show for it, paper-wise.
Failing that, I plan to contact this place: http://www.pctia.bc.ca/index.html
and see if there is anything they can help me with. My school is listed as one of the registered institutes.
The thing is that I did finish all the regular makeup modules like beginners’ makeup, fashion makeup, makeup for film and TV… basically, I do know enough to be a fabulous makeup artist, I just do not yet know how to do the crazy special effects like bald caps and whatnot. I am qualified to work at any makeup counter, but I don’t have the piece of paper that says so.
A makeup counter near me is hiring, and I think that would be a great way to gain experience… I plan to apply tomorrow.
But the thing is, I still have on my resume that I am enrolled in that school. I don’t know how to phrase it so that it is evident that I know the principles and techniques of makeup application even though I don’t have the diploma.
Here is the resume help question…
What I have on my resume is this (with some formatting, of course):
Make-up Artistry Diploma
school name here
Education
2004 - Present
Cosmetic Retailing
Bridal Make-up
Basic Skin Care
Hair Styling & Updos
Day & Evening Make-up
TV, Film & Theatre Make-up
Fashion Make-up
Airbrush Make-up
I’m afraid to put 2004 - 2005, because that implies I finished. At the same time, I don’t want to leave it as 2004 - Present, because that implies I am still there.
Other than Cosmetic Retailing, all of the other things listed there are modules I officially finished. Since I actually was present for and did learn all of Cosmetic Retailing and only didn’t finish in name, I left it there. I didn’t include Job Search Skills and Special Effects because they are the ones I missed.
How should I put this on my resume?
I tried to be as honest and complete as possible in writing this post but if anything needs clarification, please do ask.
I’ve always been a wee bit clueless about resumes, to be honest.