How to Enroll In the Best Aesthetician Training Near Irvine California
Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Irvine CA, the process begins to find and enroll in the best program. It's important that the school you choose not only provides the proper instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you may be somewhat unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Irvine home. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when assessing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the ideal option. There are various other considerations that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what kinds of programs are offered.
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Esthetics 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 Irvine California 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 Courses
Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Irvine CA students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are frequently fast paced because many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours away from your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the program you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Aesthetician Degree Programs
Following is a list of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Irvine home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician school you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified 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 guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically 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 concluding benefit, many Irvine CA employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Irvine CA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And last, check with the California school licensing authority to see 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 expansive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your goal is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your vision is to open a Irvine CA 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 regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Studying and refining esthetician skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on using mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. So try to find other schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's imperative that he or she gets help in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help develop relationships with Irvine CA employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an option before you learn what financial aid may be offered.
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Enroll in the Right Irvine Esthetician Program
Locating and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is imperative to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to collect all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the academy and program you decide on are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are ready to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Irvine California.
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