How to Select the Best Esthetician School Near Livermore California
Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Livermore CA, the process starts to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It's important that the school you choose not only provides the appropriate education for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be a little bit puzzled 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 intend on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Livermore residence. Tuition will additionally be a critical consideration when evaluating potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the right option. There are various other factors that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what kinds of courses are available.
It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Esthetician Career Below!
Esthetics Training Programs
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 Livermore 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 Esthetician Schools
Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Livermore CA students who are employed full-time and have family commitments that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs available that can be attended through a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are often fast paced because many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not devoting many hours away from your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the school you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Esthetician Programs
Below is a list of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Livermore home, in addition to the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician training program 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 ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may 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 many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Livermore CA businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Livermore 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 suggest others that you had not thought of. Finally, check with the California school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you choose a school that specializes in 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 aspiration is to start a Livermore CA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Studying and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty school offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. So try to find other schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that she or he receives assistance in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with Livermore CA businesses that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an alternative before you determine what financial help may be available.
More Info on How to Become an Esthetician in Livermore
Enroll in the Best Livermore Esthetician Course
Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician college is imperative to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to compile all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Livermore California.
Livermore Esthetician Schools | Livermore Esthetician Schools Online