Odds of Getting In
If you've been practicing on mannequin heads for long enough to get a license, there has to be at least one human out there somewhere who'll pay you to cut their hair or do their makeup.
Estimated job growth for beauticians and cosmetologists is about ten percent (a little above average) (source), and many salons are happy to take on junior apprentices. (Why? Ask them how much they pay...) But if there aren't any salons near you hiring, it's probably the industry's fault—not yours. Over thirty percent of hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in the U.S. are self-employed.