How to Select the Best Aesthetician College Near San Fernando California
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near San Fernando CA, the task starts to find and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the program you choose not only furnishes the appropriate training for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be somewhat unclear 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 type of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your San Fernando residence. Tuition will likewise be an important aspect when reviewing possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not automatically the ideal choice. There are several other considerations that you should weigh when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what kinds of courses are offered.
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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 San Fernando 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 programs are convenient for San Fernando CA students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs available that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are often fast paced because many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not spending numerous hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the training program you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also obtain 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 make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetics Trade Schools
Below is a series of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your San Fernando residence, together with the price of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue 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 preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have collected some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's essential to make certain that the esthetician college you pick 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 measure up to their high standards guaranteeing 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 some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of San Fernando CA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals 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 field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with San Fernando CA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. Finally, contact the California school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you select a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your objective 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 San Fernando CA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Practicing and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty school furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on using mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for developing your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's crucial that he or she receives assistance in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with San Fernando CA employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, 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? Many esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and learn 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 offered to students as well. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an alternative before you learn what financial assistance may be provided.
Learn How to Become an Esthetician in San Fernando
Enroll in the Right San Fernando Esthetician Program
Locating and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is imperative to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to compile all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the academy and program you pick are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in San Fernando California.
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