How to Choose the Best Esthetician Training Program Near Auburn Alabama
Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Auburn AL, the task begins to search for and enroll in the right program. It's imperative that the school you pick not only furnishes the proper instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be rather confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Auburn home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when reviewing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not automatically the ideal choice. There are several other factors that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what types of programs are available.
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Esthetician Training Requirements
Esthetics school is an investment of time, energy, and money. Requirements vary from state to state, but the majority of states require that you complete at least 600 hours of training. Full-time school can take an average of six months to complete, and part-time school can take anywhere from 9-12 months. The primary purpose of esthetics school is to get you ready to pass the state licensing exam. They also teach basic skills that you will need to perfect through experience and sometimes additional classes, such as giving facials, body treatments, and performing waxing. More advanced training includes learning to work with machines, such as IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) and Lasers used to rejuvenate the skin and permanently remove hair.
Esthetician Job Description
Estheticians (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in Auburn Alabama spas and salons as well as resorts and medical facilities to provide a variety of treatments for their clients. Some of the typical duties of an esthetician include performing deep skin cleansing and treatments, hair removal, and massages. Estheticians also recommend skincare treatments, products, and regimens to their clients. Many estheticians are self-employed, which allows them to set their schedules and work where they wish. However, these professionals still often need to work evenings and weekends. These skin care specialists also spend much of their time standing and may be exposed to harmful chemicals. Certified estheticians have excellent customer service and communication skills. They're adept at time management, observation and monitoring and are competent in understanding and using the tools necessary for facial procedures and extractions. Certified estheticians are familiar with medical, spreadsheets, and word processing software. They present a professional appearance and have the physical fitness to stand for prolonged periods of time. A career in esthetics generally requires working evening and weekend hours.
Online Esthetics Classes
Online esthetician classes are accommodating for Auburn AL students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be attended via a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are often fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not devoting many hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the program you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Classes
Following is a list of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Auburn home, in addition to the price of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician training program you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Auburn AL employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Each esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Auburn AL salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. Finally, contact the Alabama school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you enroll in a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your dream is to start a Auburn AL beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Learning and refining esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty school offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on using mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. So search for other schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's important that he or she receives assistance in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help develop relationships with Auburn AL employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an option before you learn what financial help may be provided.
Learn How to Become an Esthetician in Auburn
Enroll in the Right Auburn Esthetician Program
Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is essential to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Auburn Alabama.
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