How to Choose the Right Aesthetician College Near New London Connecticut
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near New London CT, the task begins to locate and enroll in the best program. It's important that the program you choose not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be rather confused 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 kind of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your New London home. Tuition will additionally be a critical consideration when evaluating prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not automatically the best choice. There are several other considerations that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what types of training programs are available.
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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 London 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 Esthetics Schools
Online esthetician programs are accommodating for New London CT students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs available that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty schools are often fast paced since many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, 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. However, it's vital that the program you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Esthetician Training Courses
Following is a series of questions that you should research for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your New London residence, in addition to the expense 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 reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
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 recognized local or national organization, 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 can also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many New London CT employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with New London CT salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. Finally, consult 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, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you choose 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 well regarded for that program. If your dream is to launch a New London CT beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty academy provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. So try to find 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 she or he gets assistance in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with New London CT employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students also. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not drop it as an option until you learn what financial assistance may be provided.
Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in New London
Enroll in the Best New London Esthetician Program
Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician school is essential to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to compile all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A good beginning 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 begin with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional esthetician in New London Connecticut.
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