How to Choose the Best Esthetician Program Near Pleasanton California

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Pleasanton CA, the process starts to find and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the school you select not only furnishes the proper training for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be somewhat unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Pleasanton home. Tuition will also be an important factor when reviewing possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the ideal choice. There are various other considerations that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types of training programs are offered.

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Esthetician 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 Pleasanton 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 Classes

Online esthetician schools are convenient for Pleasanton CA students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be accessed by means of 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 short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you're not devoting numerous hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the training program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Aesthetician Training Courses

Following is a series of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Pleasanton residence, in addition to the expense of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled some of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician college you choose 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Pleasanton CA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Any esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Pleasanton CA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And finally, check with the California school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing 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 commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you pick a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your intention 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 launch a Pleasanton CA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided?  Learning and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty school furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for developing your skills. So try to find alternate schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's imperative that he or she gets aid in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish help develop relationships with Pleasanton CA employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Available?  Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students also. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you learn what financial help may be provided.

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Enroll in the Right Pleasanton Esthetician Training

Choosing and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is important to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to organize 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 compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Pleasanton California.

 

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