How to Pick the Best Esthetician College Near Lakewood California
Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Lakewood CA, the process starts to find and enroll in the best program. It's important that the program you pick not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you may be rather unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Lakewood home. Tuition will likewise be an important factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not automatically the best choice. There are many other factors that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what types of courses are offered.
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Esthetician Certificates and Degrees
There are basically two avenues offered to get esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate's degree. Certificate programs typically call for 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate's degree usually takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you want to focus on just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also probably incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a parlor or other Lakewood CA business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master's degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you opt for, it's essential to make certain that it's approved by the California Board of Cosmetology. Many states only certify schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the next segment.
Online Esthetics Training
Online esthetician classes are accommodating for Lakewood CA students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs offered that can be attended via a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty schools are often fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Esthetician Training Classes
Following is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Lakewood residence, as well as the expense of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician training program you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Lakewood CA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Lakewood CA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And finally, check with the California school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all facets 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 essential that you decide on 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 well regarded for that program. If your vision is to open a Lakewood CA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Learning and refining esthetician skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty school provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. So search for other schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's imperative that she or he receives help in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid develop relationships with Lakewood CA employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? The majority of esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and identify 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 accessible to students as well. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not drop it as an alternative until you find out what financial aid may be offered.
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Enroll in the Best Lakewood Esthetician Program
Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel confident about your decision. Be sure to consolidate all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the college and program you pick are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to start your career as a professional esthetician in Lakewood California.
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