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What to Ask Esthetics Training Classes
Below is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your San Mateo home, together with the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish 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 initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician school you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged 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 obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many San Mateo CA businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with San Mateo CA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And finally, contact the California school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed 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, offering training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand 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 certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to open a San Mateo CA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Studying and refining esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty program furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on using mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. So look for other schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's imperative that he or she gets help in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with San Mateo CA businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out 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 accessible to students too. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an alternative before you learn what financial help may be provided.