How to Pick the Right Esthetician School Near Palm Springs California

Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Palm Springs CA, the task begins to find and enroll in the right program. It's imperative that the school you choose not only provides the proper instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be a little bit puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both relate 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 Palm Springs home. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when evaluating prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the best option. There are many other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what types of training programs are available.

It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Esthetician Career Below!

Esthetician Degrees and Certificates

There are essentially two options offered to obtain esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can pursue an Associate's degree. Certificate programs generally take 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate's degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you prefer to specialize in just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also probably include management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other Palm Springs CA business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master's degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you choose, it's important to make sure that it's recognized by the California Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only approve schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the upcoming segment.

Online Esthetics Training

Online esthetician classes are convenient for Palm Springs CA students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended via a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty schools are frequently fast paced because many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you're not devoting many hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it's important that the school you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Aesthetician Degree Programs

Following is a list of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Palm Springs home, together with the cost 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 reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician training program you select 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 assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Palm Springs CA employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Any esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Palm Springs CA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And finally, consult the California school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you decide on a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to open a Palm Springs CA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided?  Studying and refining esthetician techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best option for developing your skills. So look for alternate schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's important that he or she gets assistance in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with Palm Springs CA employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and find out 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 accessible to students too. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an option until you find out what financial aid may be offered.

Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in Palm Springs

Enroll in the Right Palm Springs Esthetician Training

Choosing and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is imperative to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Don't forget to organize all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the academy and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are ready to start your career as a professional esthetician in Palm Springs California.

 

Palm Springs Esthetician Courses | Palm Springs Esthetician Training