Working in the Beauty Industry

For the vast majority of individuals, not a day goes by without the use of beauty products in some shape or form. Whether it be lathering a bar of soap, using face wash, or putting lip gloss on in the morning, personal care routines are directly tied to the beauty industry. But what if they knew it was possible to break into the beauty industry with a degree from Cal Poly? This week, we chatted with Anjana Melvin, a 2020 OCOB grad who works as a Jr. Data Analyst at Benefit Cosmetics. Keep reading to learn more about her journey and insights!

Q: How did you know you wanted to work in the beauty industry & how did you leverage your Cal Poly education to reach your goals?

A: Honestly, I didn't know I wanted to be in the beauty industry. I started in fitness & wellness (interned at Mindbody for 2 years while I was in school and worked at a fitness start-up for the first year post-grad), and beauty was a similar industry with an easy transition. I knew that if I was going to work in a data role, I wanted it to be for a B2C company. I also just really enjoy watching TikTok beauty trends, and being in a role where I get to see how that impacts what consumers buy and what we as a company decide to sell is awesome. In terms of how I leveraged my Cal Poly education-- OCOB allowed me to explore and combine many different areas of interest. As an example, I combined the hard skills I'd learned from my coding and analytics classes with my interest in politics and marketing for my senior project, which was a sentiment analysis on Nike’s sponsorship of Colin Kaepernick. Having professors that encouraged me to do those types of projects outside of the traditional options made me realize that I liked to answer questions around businesses, culture & society and led me to the role I have today.

Q: What is your favorite & least favorite aspect of working in the beauty industry?

A: My favorite thing about working in the beauty industry is all the free makeup products, but also how quickly things change! Fun fact, lipstick used to be the #2 most popular product in the US (after foundation) pre-COVID, and has dropped to #6 after. Skincare has grown so quickly in the last few years, so we're pivoting to sell more skincare products. My least favorite thing is that there's still a lot of work to be done in terms of diversity and inclusion, especially for older, more established brands-- but that's an opportunity to create change!

Q: If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

A: Piece of advice... relax? You don't need to run yourself to the ground in college to get a good job post grad.

Q: Do you have any advice for students who want to break into this industry?

A: As with any industry, it's all about networking and who you know. I got a referral for this job from a CP Women in Business alum!

At the end of the day, the opportunities are endless for OCOB graduates who are driven and passionate about what it is they are striving to accomplish. Though there are traditional and common routes individuals choose to take after they graduate from Cal Poly, it is important to take into consideration all of the roles and industries that are out there!

Feel free to schedule an appointment with the Cal Poly Career Readiness Center to chat more about where your degree can take you!