Cosmetology School Graduate Jobs Near Highcroft, NC | Artisan Hair ...

Quick answer: Artisan Hair Cary at 5039 Arco Street, Cary, NC 27519 hires for cosmetology school graduate jobs from Highcroft (Cary). Our salon is a 5-minute drive from Highcroft (Cary) via NC-55 to Alston Town Center. Led by Rob Schutzbach, a Master Artisan and Educator with over 25 years of experience and Arrojo and Sassoon trained, former Arrojo Art Team member. Email robanthony@att.net or call (919) 694-5755 to apply.

Our current hiring is for stylists able to serve guests from Highcroft (Cary) and the greater Triangle area, all from our single Cary salon. Here's the honest look at the role. New licensees usually face a choice between chain-salon volume and independent-salon mentorship; we built this salon to be the second option, with training and a runway instead of an exhausting first year on the clock.

What the Drive From Highcroft (Cary) Looks Like

Highcroft is one of West Cary's quiet master-planned communities and several recent graduates from local programs live in this area. The drive from Highcroft (Cary) runs about 5 minutes via Carpenter Upchurch Road to NC-540 to Alston Town Center. We have stylists who commute longer distances every day because the work environment, the mentorship, and the brand education calendar make the drive worth it.

If you are based in Wake County, the route to our 5039 Arco Street salon is direct. We are inside Alston Town Center next to Whole Foods at the NC-55 and 540 interchange. Free parking, and an entrance that opens straight into the salon.

How New Cosmetology Graduates Build Skill Faster Here

Several recent cosmetology graduates already live in Highcroft, and most of them describe the same fear about starting their first salon job: getting stuck as a floater or a shampoo tech with no real path forward. That is not how we run things. New graduates here go through structured onboarding covering our shampoo and consultation standard, our cutting framework, our color line systems, and our continuing education calendar. Your first solo guest comes only after you have earned real chair-time, the kind that makes you employable for the next 30 years, not just the next 30 days.

Who Works at Artisan Hair Cary

This is a small, talented team, and mentorship happens every week, not once a year. Here are three of the people you would actually work alongside:

• Rob Schutzbach, Owner and Master Stylist. Specializes in color and razor cutting; Arrojo and Sassoon trained, former Arrojo Art Team member.
• Dani, Artisan and Color Specialist. Specializes in creative color and styling.
• Laney, Artisan Stylist. Specializes in cutting and color.

See the rest of the artisan team on our Meet Our Artisans page.

The Graduate-to-Senior-Stylist Skill Path

Advancement at Artisan Hair Cary is staged, not automatic. New licensees join as Apprentices and shadow senior stylists through cutting and color work. Structured mentorship runs 6 to 12 months before apprentices step up to Artisan Stylist and start their own column. From there, stylists can move toward Color Specialist, Senior Stylist, or Master Stylist depending on their own focus. What decides the next step is skill, consistency, and the team's own view of the work, never a quota or a race to a title.

That path is identical for someone straight out of cosmetology school and someone transferring in from another salon. We start with where you actually are and build forward from that point.

Brands, Tools, and Continuing Education

Product and brand choice is not an afterthought here. The daily lineup runs on Goldwell, Lakme, Color WOW, KMS, and Amika, with Keratin Complex covering smoothing work. K18 and Olaplex back up every lightening service with bond support. Education around these lines flows in from the brands directly, from Rob Schutzbach's own internal teaching, and from workshops outside the Triangle when a stylist wants to go deeper.

Stylists who keep learning are the ones who stay technically sharp, and our continuing education calendar is designed to make that the default, not something you have to chase down yourself.

Culture and What to Expect at Artisan Hair Cary

Day one brings a clean station, a real schedule, and colleagues who already know your name. Rob runs the floor more like a coach than an owner watching the clock. The pace is intentional, never rushed. Consultations get whatever time the guest actually needs.

The team eats lunch together more days than not. Difficult color corrections get worked through together. Mistakes get treated as teaching moments, not blame. Stylists from Highcroft (Cary) who have joined us tell us the consistency of the culture is the part they did not know they were missing until they had it.

There is a rhythm to how education fits in here: brand classes, in-house teaching, and open chair time, none of it disrupting guest services. Stylists who want to grow get to keep growing. Stylists who want to specialize get a real runway. Long careers are what this whole setup is built around.

Getting Here from Highcroft (Cary)

The salon address is 5039 Arco Street, Cary, NC 27519, inside Alston Town Center next to Whole Foods at NC-55 and 540. Coming from Highcroft (Cary), expect roughly 5 minutes; the typical route is Carpenter Upchurch Road to NC-540 to Alston Town Center.

Parking is free right outside the door. For an interview or working visit, arrive about 10 minutes early, and call (919) 694-5755 if you need a quick route check.

What People Usually Ask

Where is Artisan Hair Cary located compared to Highcroft (Cary)?

5039 Arco Street, Cary, NC 27519, which is roughly a 5-minute drive from Highcroft (Cary) via NC-55 to Alston Town Center.

Do you hire cosmetology school graduates with no salon experience?

Yes, when the right seat is open. We screen for portfolio, attitude, and willingness to learn. Experience is what we help build, not the prerequisite.

Can I apply if I live in Highcroft (Cary)?

Yes. Email your resume and portfolio to robanthony@att.net, or call (919) 694-5755. We typically respond within a week, faster if a seat is currently open.

What should I include in my portfolio as a cosmetology graduate?

Final cuts (front, side, back), color work showing both highlights and toner application, and any styling work you are proud of. School photos are fine. We want to see how you see hair.

Is a North Carolina cosmetology license required to apply?

Yes for any guest-facing role. New licensees and stylists nearing graduation are encouraged to apply when their license date is within 30 days.

Will I have a mentor as a new graduate?

Yes. Rob and the senior stylists each take an active role in onboarding new graduates. Mentorship is structured, not informal.

Who runs the floor day to day?

Rob Schutzbach, our Master Artisan and Educator. Rob brings over 25 years of experience and is on the floor most days teaching and working with the team.

How long is the onboarding period for new cosmetology graduates?

Roughly 60 to 90 days of mentored work depending on your starting confidence. After that you start taking guests in a managed column.

How to Apply

To apply, send us a resume, your North Carolina cosmetology license number (or your expected graduation date, if you are still finishing up), and 6 to 10 portfolio photos to robanthony@att.net. Prefer to talk first? Call (919) 694-5755. For serious candidates, we set up a working interview so you can actually see the floor before committing to anything.

Explore More

• Career Opportunities at Artisan Hair Cary
• Meet Our Artisans
• About Artisan Hair Cary