Do you want to make a difference in people’s lives? Are you the type of person who can bring out the best in others? In a world where beauty, fashion, and trends are the talk of the town, keeping yourself well groomed and presentable has become a necessity rather than a choice. This blog will walk you through steps about how to become an Image Consultant, the relevant courses and earning potential of the field.
Who is an Image Consultant?
An image consultant assists clients in improving their social and professional appearance. They groom and enhance their personality by giving them a makeover, helping them understand their body and face structure, and recommending appropriate clothing and makeup tips that highlight their features, making them look good.
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Also read: How to become a Fashion Designer
How to become an Image Consultant (4-step guide)
Step 1: Stream to select
If you want to be an Image Consultant, you can study in any field, but the arts are the best option.
Step 2: Educational Requirements
How to become an Image consultant after 12th
After completing your 10th 0r 12th grade in any subject, you can pursue a course in image consulting.
Image Consultant Courses:
- Fashion Styling & Image Design
- Certified Virtual Personal Stylist
- Certified Fashion Stylist
- Certified Image Consultant
- Certified Image Stylist Professional
- Business Communication & Personality Development
- Certified Wardrobe Stylist
- Undergraduate courses in India
Courses | Duration |
BA in Business Communication | 3 years |
Bachelors in Fashion Designing | 3 years |
Bachelors of Fine Art | 3 years |
B.Design Fashion Styling and Image Design | 4 years |
B.Des in Textile Design | 4 years |
- Top Colleges in India to become an Image consultant
Some of the top institutes to pursue image consultant courses are as follows
Colleges | Location |
Pearl Academy | Mumbai |
Indian School of Image Management | Mumbai |
Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication | Pune |
National Institute of Fashion Technology | Navi Mumbai and Chennai |
National Institute of Design | Ahmedabad and Bangalore |
Fashion Stylist Institute | Global (Online) |
Image Maker | Mumbai |
Image Consulting Business Institute (ICBI) | Pan India (Online) |
Istituti Callegari Milano | Mumbai |
Vogue Institue of Art and Design | Bangalore |
Undergraduate Courses abroad for image consultant
All the courses mentioned below are for 3-4 years program
- BA Hons Fashion Styling and Creative Direction
- Bachelors in Fashion Styling and Communication
- BA in Psychology
- Bachelor of Fashion Technology
- Bachelors in Textile Design
- BA in Business Communication
- Top Colleges to become an image consultant abroad
College | Location |
Image Academia International | Miami, USA |
London Image Institute School | London, UK |
Fashion Stylist Institute | California, USA |
NYC Image Consultant Academy | New York, USA |
Conselle Institute of Image Management | Orem, USA |
Step 3: Certification courses
Being AICI (Association of Image Consultant International) certified is valued highly for an Image Consultant.
There are 3 levels of AICI certification with AICI CIM being the highest level of proficiency but to achieve that you need to attain the first two certifications.
Steps To Become AICI CIC (Certified Image Consultant)
Step 1: Register yourself with it and pay a registration fee.
Step 2: After registration, you have six months time to prepare for the examination, After 6 Months take the exam.
Step 3: You will see your scores immediately after giving the exam. If you clear the exam AICI will contact you for the next round of Portfolio Review.
Step 4: After Submission of your portfolio a reviewer will give an assessment based on your portfolio and on passing this round you will receive an AICI CIC certificate.
These certificates are designations after your name that inform clients that you meet professional standards when consulting with them.
Learn more: Career options as Consultant
Step 4: Job Preparation
- Internship
To become an Image Consultant, it is necessary to gain practical experience, and the best way to do so is to intern with well-known Image Consultants or with Image Consultant companies.
- Freelance
To land clients, you must develop strong networking skills. Starting as a freelancer is a great way to practise your skills while also building a portfolio for a career as an Image Consultant.
- Portfolio Creation
You take photos of your clients’ makeover projects you have worked on as a freelancer or as part of an internship. Create interesting snippets of your clients’ makeovers, and make a mood board of different texture, colour and shape combinations. This will help your clients understand the type of work they can expect from you. Don’t forget to include your internship experience and previous client feedback.
5 Skills needed to become an Image Consultant
- Excellent Communication
- Management Skills
- Sensory Skills
- Awareness
- Mentoring Skills
Salary of an Image Consultant
Salary of an Image Consultant in India
The average salary of an image consultant in India is around ₹4 lakh per annum.
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Salary of an Image Consultant Abroad
Countries | Average Salary |
US | ₹ 67.5 L |
UK | ₹ 26.7 L |
Canada | ₹38.9 L |
Australia | ₹54.9 L |
France | ₹17.6 L |
Top Recruiters in India
- Image Consulting Business Institute – New Delhi
- Make Your Mark
- Renu Mehra Image Consulting
- Personality Development Training by Samira Gupta
- Image Redefined – Best Image Consultant & Soft Skills Trainer in Delhi/Gurgaon
- Impact Image Consultants
- Vibhinta Verma Image Consulting
- Auraa Image Management & Consulting
- Styl Inc Image Management Consultants
Top Recruiters Abroad
- Yuna & Co. Private Company
- Style Advice
- Suits Me
- Couturme
- ShoeDazzle
- Suits Me
- Intelistyle
- Style Puzzle
- Dressire
- DressLife
It is a versatile career choice in today’s day and age, with numerous alternate work profiles that provide opportunities for growth and novelty. It is also a highly rewarding career choice, so if fashion excites you, get started on a path to becoming an Image Consultant.
FAQs about how to become an Image Consultant
How to become an Image Consultant?
There are 5 steps to becoming a recognized image consultant.
Consume fashion content to stay up to date on the latest fashion trends.
Enrol in image consultant training courses (some are mentioned below).
Obtain AICI certification to gain industry credibility.
Make your portfolio by giving clients free makeovers.
Gain experience, improve your networking abilities, and land a client.
Is Image Consulting a good career?
There are numerous career options available after becoming an image consultant as it provides versatility and is one of the best career choices if you see yourself in the fashion industry.
What is professional image consultant?
They groom and enhance their personality by giving them a makeover, helping them understand their body and face structure, and recommending appropriate clothing and makeup tips that highlight their features, making them look good.
How do I start my own image consultant business?
You begin by providing free makeovers and developing a portfolio, and after completing AICI-accredited certification, you can build a network and secure clients to launch your own business.
What is the difference between fashion stylist and image consultant?
A fashion stylist helps one to dress better but an image consultant also helps in over appearance and grooming a personality of an individual.
How long does it take to become an image consultant?
AICI-accredited courses allow you to work globally. Being a certified professional is crucial because it adds credibility to your portfolio. After completing a course related to image management you need to get certified by AICI.
Do I need a degree to be an image consultant?
No there is no specific degree you need you can directly pursue a certification course to become an image consultant but having a degree in communication, fashion styling and personality development would be of great advantage.
How do I become a consultant?
There are 5 steps to becoming a recognized image consultant.
Consume fashion content to stay up to date on the latest fashion trends.
Enroll in image consultant training courses (some are mentioned below).
Obtain AICI certification to gain industry credibility.
Make your portfolio by giving clients free makeovers.
Gain experience, improve your networking abilities, and land a client.
What does an image manager do?
An image consultant assists clients in improving their social and professional appearance.
Do I need a degree to be an image consultant?
To become an image consultant, you must obtain short-term courses or online certifications or to further deepen your knowledge of the field, enrol in image management courses.