How to Find the Right Esthetician School Near South Lake Tahoe California
Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near South Lake Tahoe CA, the process begins to search for and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the school you choose not only furnishes the necessary instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be somewhat puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your South Lake Tahoe home. Tuition will also be a critical factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not necessarily the right option. There are many other considerations that you should weigh when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what kinds of programs are available.
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Esthetics 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 (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in South Lake Tahoe 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 Programs
Online esthetician programs are accommodating for South Lake Tahoe CA students who are employed full time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs available that can be attended via a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are frequently fast paced since many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not spending many hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Aesthetician Training Programs
Below is a series of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your South Lake Tahoe residence, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician training program you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many South Lake Tahoe CA employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with South Lake Tahoe CA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And finally, contact the California school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you choose a school that focuses on 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 South Lake Tahoe CA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Practicing and refining esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty program furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that he or she receives assistance in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer help develop relationships with South Lake Tahoe CA businesses that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not drop it as an option before you determine what financial help may be available.
Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in South Lake Tahoe
Enroll in the Best South Lake Tahoe Esthetician Program
Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Don't forget to consolidate all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in South Lake Tahoe California.
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