Jobs & Careers: UTech student turns passion into business

F ourth year University of Technology student Rhoni-Ann Parkins isn’t just finishing up her degree, she’s also operating her own business as a make-up artiste.

She said that she started playing around with facial products from high school and she would often watch YouTube tutorials to get the contouring right.

But it was not until her third year in college that she realised that she could turn her passion into a business.

For the past year, she has been operating Rhoni’s Face Glam, where she travels to clients across the Corporate Area.

“At first it wasn’t serious but my father encouraged me to do it as a business. So I started that officially at the beginning of third year where I did (faces) for pageants, graduations, anything you can think of,” she said.

The medical technology student said she used her hall as a base for her work.

Exposure

She didn’t charge her ‘clients’ at first, and only started doing so after people got interested and started to contact her on a regular basis for work.

“When I was doing it on hall, I wasn’t charging. If someone gave me something I would take it. But after exposure from Instagram and signs around school and everything, things started to happen. There are times I book people months in advance as well,” she said.

She told THE STAR that while she is making an income from her make-up, she sees being an artist as a way for her to relax, especially during a stressful semester.

“I work within my schedule so I wouldn’t take on anybody knowing I have an assignment to do. Doing and seeing people happy gives a feeling of relaxation and everything. So like right after (a job), I would go back in my book. So I don’t take on too much,” she said.

She added that her passion is also driven by her parents as they have encouraged her to get certified in the field.