44: Your First Paid Job: What I Wish I Knew
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[00:00:00] Welcome to episode 44 of the Artist to Artist podcast. Today's episode is all about your first paid job as a makeup artist, whether it's for a bride, a brand, a production, a client from Instagram, a referral from your network. Your first paid job always feels like a big deal, and that's because it is. The thing you have to remember is we all started somewhere.
Even the artists that you look up to, nobody skips the step of that first paid job. Everybody has those first job jitters, and honestly, it's the beginning of something really exciting. So in this episode, I wanted to share the things that I wish someone had told me before my first paid job. What actually matters, what doesn't, and how to stop putting unnecessary pressure on yourself, which I know is very hard to do, so you can actually enjoy the work that you're doing in this episode, I'm also gonna share a product that I recently purchased that I am absolutely loving. And I'm gonna answer some kind of frequently asked questions that I think a lot of you may have about your first few jobs we have to [00:01:00] start this episode with, I think the one fear that many artists have before their first job, and I had this as well, what if I mess up? What if I screw up? What if I embarrass myself? And the actual truth is nobody on set knows what the hell you're doing. There's no one there judging your blending or tracking every single step in your makeup application.
There's no makeup expert watching you work. even if there is another artist there, they're likely also working. And everybody has their own process and. We all know that applying makeup and how we do it is different for everyone, as long as the work looks decent and it gets done on time, nobody actually cares how you got there.
Your job isn't to impress every single person on set. It's to deliver what your client asks for, whether that's a producer, director, photographer, or an event client, and just to do it professionally. So if you're feeling nervous before your first job or your first few paid jobs, that's actually a good thing because nerves mean that you care nerves.
Exhibit that you wanna do Well, and from my [00:02:00] perspective, when I work with someone who's completely nonchalant. It doesn't really inspire confidence in me. I'm way more comfortable with someone who's clearly prepared, maybe a bit anxious or nervous and paying attention than someone who's pretending not to care or actually just not caring.
Nerves are not something to really hide or be embarrassed about. They're part of being human. They're part of being a professional.
Here's the part that took me a little longer to learn, and I still have to remind myself of this. You don't need to go above and beyond to prove your value to your client, whoever that client is. If you show up on time, which is early, your kit is clean, your products are organized, you deliver looks that of course match the skin tone, follow the client direction, and you're not a pain in the ass to work with.
That is your responsibility as a professional makeup artist. That's what you're there to do. You do not need to fill awkward silences on set or on the job with. Chatter. You don't need to act overly confident. You don't need to put on a show. You don't need to play director. You don't need to solve [00:03:00] everybody else's problems on set.
Just do your job, pay attention, and move with purpose, and that is enough. You're allowed to be quiet while you figure out the vibe of the people that you're working with or the vibe of the set that you're on. You don't need to perform professionalism. You just need to be prepared and respectful of everyone's time and space.
If you're working with a team of people. Which brings me to what I think newer makeup artists should actually focus on because there's so much content out there telling you. To overdo it, to post to it. It's almost forcing people to, I think, over prove themselves. Here is what actually matters. First of all, stay in your lane.
You're hired to do makeup. That's it. You're not styling, you're not producing, you're not Project managing clients will remember the artists who were calm. Confident, efficient, who are good collaborators and who can adjust and more importantly, adapt. If you try to do too much, you risk stepping on other people's toes or kind of burning yourself out on the day.
So just focus on what you're there to do. The second thing, [00:04:00] which I think. Is one of the most important responsibilities of a makeup artist on the job is to be adaptable. Things are going to change your talent or your model, or whoever they're gonna be late. The lighting that you're shooting with might change.
The mood on set might be a little tense. None of this is in your control, but what you can control is how you respond. So you wanna stay calm, adjust quickly, and that's really the thing that's gonna make clients trust you and more importantly, wanna work with you again. Finally, this one's really easy, but I think again, one of the more important things to remember.
Just be prepared. Make sure you have what you need for the job. Go through your kit. Make sure everything is clean and organized and functional. Don't psych yourself out. Don't do anything that jeopardizes your role or your presence on set. All of the social or interpersonal stuff, that is all gonna come with time.
You don't need to really be a master of that yet. You just need to be someone that people are happy to have in the room and someone that they can trust. And if you do that, you have succeeded at your first job or [00:05:00] your first few paid jobs.
I tease this a little bit in the intro. I wanted to talk about this before we wrap a product that I'm loving right now. I've been using the newer formulated house labs, I think it's called the Power Sculpt Velvet. Powder bronzer. I'm really bad with remembering names, but I'll link it in the show notes.
Of course. And I have been so impressed. I got the lightest shade and I think a medium shade. Again, I'll list the shades that I have in the show notes, and it looks kind of dark in the pan. And when you feel the texture, it's a it, the texture feels kind of intense, but it blends like a dream. It's a powder product that looks like a cream on the skin.
Which to me is such a useful thing to have because blending cream under powder and then layering can sometimes take a lot of time on, on set. And this product is kind of changing how I work with clients. I had, two days of weddings over the weekend and I used this bronzer and I actually completely, by the second day, skipped my cream bronzer step and just did my foundation, a little bit of sculpting [00:06:00] set with powder and then put the house labs bronzer on top.
Just to add depth and it has enough pigment. The finish is beautiful. I think the best thing I can say about it is that it applies, of course, like a powder 'cause it is, but it just gives you that cream like finish and it has enough pigment where you don't need to really layer cream under powder to get that intensity.
So if you're doing a lot of work where you need to be quick, if you're doing bridal events where time matters and kind of portability matters, if you're on set and you can't have a huge kit, this bronzer is amazing. I've been so impressed with house Lab stuff. I am just. So tempted to go and replace some of the foundations that I have in my kit with the House Labs Foundation.
I definitely wanna add in another shade or two of the bronzer, and I'm probably, if it's the same texture, gonna add in the blush as well. It's just, I am so impressed. The packaging is also beautiful. It looks luxury. It's slim, so you can fit it in your kit. I'm not de potting these, I'm trying not to de pot at all where I can.
So I would say if you haven't already, check it [00:07:00] out. Even if you're not buying it, just stop into a Sephora and try. The texture is really incredible. Shades are beautiful. Even the deeper shades are so nice. I don't need a lot of deeper stuff in my kit right now ' because I'm totally stocked up on that.
But amazing, amazing product. since this episode was for artists who are getting ready for those first few jobs or your first actual paid job. I wanted to run through a few extra things I know people are wondering about, but might be too nervous to ask. What if you mess up the makeup, spill something, forget a product.
What if the client isn't happy? All of that stuff, Mistakes are going to happen. That's part of the job. Mistakes are guaranteed. If you mess something up, it is okay to own it and say, Hey, I just need five more minutes to fix this, or, I just spilled this.
I just need two minutes to clean this up, and then I'll finish the makeup application. Don't fake it. Don't pretend something looks fine when it clearly doesn't. Clear. Communication will save you every single time. And if you forget a product, trust yourself to figure it out. Use what you have, improvise.
That's a skill every artist builds [00:08:00] with time. And I promise you, if you're prepared, you're gonna have something you can use in your kit. And if a client doesn't like the look that you do, if you're in a situation where their feedback really matters. Open up the conversation and don't be afraid to ask.
What would you like to change? Is there anything that feels off to you? Pull up a mood board. Just kind of reset. You're not expected to be a psychic. You're expected to just listen and adjust. Next question is, can you take content when you're on the job? And that really depends. Some jobs are closed sets, some producers.
Or photographers or whoever don't want the set shown. Some talent may not want behind the scenes captured, so just ask at the start of the day, is it okay if I film any. Behind the scenes content, like what are we allowed to post on Instagram? And you will get your answer. If they say no, please respect that.
And if they say yes, just be quick and be discreet about it.
Next question is how much should you talk on set? And that depends on the job as well. If it's a fast, fast-paced production or you're filming with sound, don't talk you, no one's gonna be talking. [00:09:00] If it's more relaxed and maybe you're working on more of a photo shoot, e-comm type of set. Conversations are gonna happen naturally.
Now, if you're not naturally chatty, that's fine. You do not have to force the small talk. Just be present, be respectful, focus on listening. Pay attention to the vibe. If you're talking more than you're watching or working, pull it back a little bit. And if you're quiet, that's not a problem as well. You're not hired to entertain people.
You're hired to do great makeup. So take some time to read the room. Don't feel like you have to get right in there and start leading conversations. Next question is what if you're unsure about the look or what's expected of you? And that's where your, I guess we'll call it pre-job communication comes in, confirm how many looks you're doing, how many people understand your timing at the beginning of the day, why you arrive early.
You wanna chat with whoever you're working for on that day. Review the mood board. Uh, check out your schedule for the day, and if you're still unsure, you can just ask, is this the look we had in mind? Would you [00:10:00] like something like this? Pull up some pictures. That's professional, that's clear. That's what's expected.
You have to be a good communicator, and if you are out of the loop, that's gonna affect you down the road. It's like a domino effect. So if you feel like you're out of the loop, going into a job, clear that up. As soon as you get to the job, it's not showing that you are unprepared or professional. It's just showing that.
You really wanna make sure you're doing what you're hired to do. Do you follow up after the job? And I would say only to say thank you after your jobs, especially onset jobs. Maybe you're working with a new team. Send a quick message to whoever booked you and thank them for the opportunity. If someone went out of their way to help you on set, thank them as well.
And do a little social media exchange where you can, or find people on social after the job and follow them. It's a small thing, but these little things just keep you visible and connected, which is so important for networking. Okay. If you're about to walk into your first paid job or you feel it's coming up, here's what I want you to remember.
You're not supposed to know everything you're supposed to [00:11:00] be learning. It is normal to learn on the job. That's part of how we figure all of this out. You are supposed to be observing and figuring things out as you go. You don't need to prove that you belong somewhere because you already do. The fact that you were hired means someone already believes in you.
Show up on time, keep your kit clean, stay calm, and do the job. You do not need to be perfect. You just need to be prepared. That's it for this week. I will see you next Tuesday, and if this episode helped you in some way, please send this to another artist who might need this reminder or might need this information.
We'll talk soon. Bye.
