Image Consultants

High School

If you are interested in this work, you will benefit from taking classes and being involved in activities that develop your ability to communicate and increase your understanding of visual effects. Helpful classes to take include English, speech, and drama. Since many people in this line of work are entrepreneurs, consider taking business, bookkeeping, computer science, accounting, and marketing classes to give you the skills to run and promote your own business. Learning a foreign language will increase the number of clients that you can serve.

Postsecondary Training

While there are no formal, standardized training programs for image consultants, the higher level of education a consultant attains, the more appealing they will be to corporate clients. Many consultants have degrees in marketing or public relations that are augmented by coursework in psychology, training methods, fashion, etiquette, and communications. Some people begin their careers in this field by working as apprentices or interns to experienced consultants.

Online learning platforms such as Udemy also offer classes in image consulting.

Certification

Some colleges offer certificates in image consulting, public relations, and related fields. For example, the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, offers a Foundations in Professional Image Consulting Skills Certificate Program. The program's components include Introduction to Image Consulting, Faces and Accessories, Color Analysis Concepts for Image Professionals, Body Analysis and Clothing Fit, Design Elements for Image Consulting, Color and Image Messaging and Image Communications, Impact of Influential Fashion Designers, and Designing and Structuring Professional Services. Contact schools in your area to learn what types of programs are available.

Other Education or Training

The Association of Image Consultants International and Color Designers International provide continuing education opportunities at their conferences and in other settings. The Small Business Administration offer seminars on starting and operating a successful business. Contact these organizations for more information.