How to Select the Best Esthetician Course Near Norwich Connecticut
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Norwich CT, the task begins to find and enroll in the best program. It's important that the program you pick not only furnishes the appropriate education for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you might be a little bit unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically 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 Norwich residence. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when evaluating potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not automatically the ideal choice. There are various other factors that you should weigh when comparing schools, for example 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 courses are available.
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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 Norwich 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 schools are advantageous for Norwich CT students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty programs are typically fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the school you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to gain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Aesthetician Programs
Below is a list of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Norwich home, together with the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue 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 preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician training program you select 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 necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Norwich CT employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Norwich CT salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. Finally, check with the Connecticut school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive 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 expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you enroll in 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 open a Norwich CT beauty salon, then you want 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 deliver the training you require.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. So search for other schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's important that he or she gets assistance in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer assistance develop relationships with Norwich CT businesses that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an option until you determine what financial assistance may be available.
More Info on How to Become an Esthetician in Norwich
Enroll in the Right Norwich Esthetician Program
Choosing and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is imperative 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 certain about your decision. Be sure to organize all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are ready to start your career as a professional esthetician in Norwich Connecticut.