How to Select the Right Esthetician College Near New Canaan Connecticut
Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near New Canaan CT, the task begins to find and enroll in the right program. It's important that the school you choose not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be somewhat confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your New Canaan home. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not always the best choice. There are several other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what kinds of programs are available.
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Esthetician Training Requirements
An esthetics program may be found in a school of cosmetology, a dedicated esthetics school or, in some cases, a junior college. An esthetics program’s length is generally determined by the state in which it is located, as each state board of cosmetology sets minimum requirements for the number of hours of training an esthetics program must provide to meet the state’s licensing requirements. However, it is also quite common for esthetics programs to offer more extensive study beyond what is required for licensing purposes. In general, an esthetics program consists of about 600 hours, a common requirement in many states. However, a number of states require less than 600 hours and perhaps just as many require more than 600. Most state boards of cosmetology maintain lists of approved programs of esthetics within the state, while others recognize all programs that meet the state’s minimum clock-hour requirement. A comprehensive esthetics program includes instruction not only in esthetic treatment procedures and services, but in areas such as the structure of the skin and its function, disorders of the skin, and professional business skills.
Esthetician Job Description
As skilled skincare experts, estheticians need to be knowledgeable of everything from skin histology and physiology to bacteriology and sanitation protocols. As beauty professionals, estheticians must be trained to perform the services that promote healthy, radiant skin – including everything from hair removal methods, pore cleansing and extractions to microdermabrasion, makeup artistry, chemical peels, and light therapy. As beauty and wellness experts, people also turn to estheticians for consultations, advice, and tips for home skincare regimens. They may recommend products, educate clients, and recommend esthetic procedures based on their clients’ needs and wants. Their work environments can include New Canaan Connecticut spas, resorts, salons, hospitals, nursing facilities and dermatologist offices.
Online Esthetician Classes
Online esthetician classes are accommodating for New Canaan CT students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty schools are typically fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it's essential that the training program you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Esthetician Trade Schools
Below is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your New Canaan home, in addition to the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn 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 should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled several of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician training program you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized 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 guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many New Canaan CT businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements 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 in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with New Canaan CT salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. Finally, contact the Connecticut 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? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you pick 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 aspiration is to start a New Canaan 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 rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best option for cultivating your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's crucial that she or he receives aid in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with New Canaan CT employers that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have wide 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. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and learn 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 accessible to students also. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an alternative until you find out what financial aid may be available.
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Enroll in the Right New Canaan Esthetician Training
Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to begin your career as a professional esthetician in New Canaan Connecticut.
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