Manicurists and pedicurists clean and shape customers' fingernails and toenails. May polish or decorate nails.

  • Clean and sanitize tools and work environment.
  • Apply undercoat and clear or colored polish onto nails with brush.
  • Maintain supply inventories and records of client services.
  • Shape and smooth ends of nails, using scissors, files, or emery boards.
  • Prepare nail cuticles with water and oil, using cuticle knives to push back cuticles and scissors or nippers to trim cuticles.
  • Prepare customers' nails in soapy water, using swabs, files, and orange sticks.
  • Remove previously applied nail polish, using liquid remover and swabs.
  • Use rotary abrasive wheels to shape and smooth nails or artificial extensions.
  • Schedule client appointments and accept payments.
  • Assess the condition of clients' hands, remove dead skin, and massage hands.
  • Roughen surfaces of fingernails, using abrasive wheel.
  • Advise clients on nail care and use of products and colors.
  • Treat nails to repair or improve strength and resilience by wrapping.
  • Extend nails using powder, solvent, and paper forms attached to tips of customers' fingers to support and shape artificial nails.
  • Polish nails, using powdered polish and buffer.
  • Whiten underside of nails with white paste or pencils.
  • Promote and sell nail care products.
  • Decorate clients' nails by piercing or attaching ornaments or designs.
Work Context
  • Exposed to Contaminants — 86% responded "Every day".
  • Physical Proximity — 64% responded "Very close (near touching)".
  • Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions — 63% responded "Continually or almost continually".
  • Contact With Others — 68% responded "Constant contact with others".
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 76% responded "Every day".
  • Spend Time Sitting — 53% responded "Continually or almost continually".
  • Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls — 67% responded "Continually or almost continually".
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Work Activities
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others — Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
Detailed Work Activities
  • Treat nails by shaping, decorating, or augmenting.
  • Treat nails by shaping, decorating, or augmenting.
  • Treat nails by shaping, decorating, or augmenting.
  • Assess skin or hair conditions.
  • Administer therapeutic massages.
  • Treat nails by shaping, decorating, or augmenting.
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Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills

Active Listening
  • Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
  • Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Social Perceptiveness
  • Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Service Orientation
  • Actively looking for ways to help people.

Abilities

Near Vision
  • The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Finger Dexterity
  • The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Oral Expression
  • The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
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Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Achievement/Effort
  • Persistence
  • Initiative
  • Leadership
  • Cooperation
  • Concern for Others
  • Social Orientation
  • Self Control
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Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Spreadsheet software
  • Microsoft Excel Hot Technology
Office suite software
  • Microsoft Office Hot Technology
Data base user interface and query software
  • Aknaf ADVANTAGE Salon Software and Spa Software
  • DaySmart Software Salon Iris
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