How to Pick the Best Aesthetician College Near New Haven Connecticut
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near New Haven CT, the task starts to locate and enroll in the ideal program. It's important that the program you choose not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be rather puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your New Haven home. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when assessing potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not automatically the right option. There are several other qualifications that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what kinds of programs are offered.
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Esthetician 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 New Haven 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 Programs
Online esthetician programs are convenient for New Haven CT students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed via a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty schools are frequently fast paced given that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not devoting many hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the school you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to gain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Esthetics Degree Programs
Below is a list of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your New Haven home, together with the price of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed 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 collected some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician school you pick 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of New Haven 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? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with New Haven CT salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And finally, contact the Connecticut school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as 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 specializes in 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 respected for that program. If your vision is to launch a New Haven 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 weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Studying and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. So look for other schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's imperative that she or he gets assistance in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish help develop relationships with New Haven CT employers that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, 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 Assistance Available? Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Speak with 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 accessible to students as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not omit it as an option before you determine what financial help may be offered.
More Info on How to Become an Aesthetician in New Haven
Enroll in the Right New Haven Esthetician Training
Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is imperative to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to compile all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that information to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you pick are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to reduce 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 launch your career as a professional esthetician in New Haven Connecticut.
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