How to Choose the Right Aesthetician Training Near Enfield Connecticut
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Enfield CT, the process begins to find and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the school you pick not only furnishes the proper training for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be rather puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Enfield home. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the ideal choice. There are various other considerations that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types of training programs are offered.
It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Esthetician Career Below!
Esthetics 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 provide a wide range of beauty services to help their Enfield Connecticut 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 Esthetician Classes
Online esthetician classes are advantageous for Enfield CT students who are employed 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 accessed through a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are often fast paced given that many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not spending many hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the school you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Aesthetician Degree Programs
Following is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Enfield home, in addition to the price of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want 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 preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make sure 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Enfield CT businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Each esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. 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, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Enfield CT salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. Finally, check with the Connecticut school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing 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 essential that you pick a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your intention 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 vision is to start a Enfield CT 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 pursuing will not provide the training you require.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and refining esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best option for cultivating your skills. So search for other schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's essential that she or he receives support in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide aid develop relationships with Enfield CT businesses that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students too. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an alternative before you determine what financial help may be available.
Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in Enfield
Enroll in the Best Enfield Esthetician Course
Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to consolidate all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are ready to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Enfield Connecticut.