How to Find the Best Aesthetician Training Near Oakland California
Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Oakland CA, the task starts to find and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the school you pick not only furnishes the proper education for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you might be a little bit puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Oakland residence. Tuition will additionally be a critical consideration when assessing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not always the best option. There are a number of other considerations that you should weigh when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what kinds of courses 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 provide a wide range of beauty services to help their Oakland California clients look and feel better. This includes improving the quality of the skin (including the treatment of skin disorders), hair removal, permanent makeup application, and facial massage. Some types of estheticians, like medical estheticians, provide highly specialized procedures that require detailed training in order for it to be done safely and effectively. Medical estheticians can help individuals suffering from serious skin disorders, burns, and other trauma, and to help with pre and post-operative surgery affecting the health of their skin. Estheticians work closely with their clients in a friendly and positive manner, so an enthusiastic attitude and desire to help people is an excellent attribute for an aspiring esthetician to possess. Some of the basic duties an esthetician may perform will include such tasks as:
- Assessing a patient’s needs
- Chemical peels
- Laser treatments
- Waxing
- Facials
- Massage of the head and neck
- Microdermabrasion
Online Esthetics Courses
Online esthetician schools are convenient for Oakland CA students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based beauty school programs offered that can be attended via a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced since many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not devoting many hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it's essential that the training program you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Aesthetician Schools
Below is a list of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Oakland residence, together with the price of tuition, will probably be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like 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 initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician training program you select 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Oakland CA businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Oakland CA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And finally, contact the California school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you select a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your goal 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 Oakland 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 poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty school furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. So look for other schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's crucial that he or she gets support in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with Oakland CA employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students also. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an alternative before you find out what financial aid may be available.
Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in Oakland
Enroll in the Right Oakland Esthetician Course
Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician program is important to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are prepared to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Oakland California.