How to Pick the Right Esthetician School Near Norwich Connecticut
Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Norwich CT, the task starts to search for and enroll in the best program. It's essential that the program you choose not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you might 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 need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Norwich residence. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when assessing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not always the ideal option. There are various other factors that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about 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 available.
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Esthetics Training Requirements
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 (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in Norwich Connecticut spas and salons as well as resorts and medical facilities to provide a variety of treatments for their clients. Some of the typical duties of an esthetician include performing deep skin cleansing and treatments, hair removal, and massages. Estheticians also recommend skincare treatments, products, and regimens to their clients. Many estheticians are self-employed, which allows them to set their schedules and work where they wish. However, these professionals still often need to work evenings and weekends. These skin care specialists also spend much of their time standing and may be exposed to harmful chemicals. Certified estheticians have excellent customer service and communication skills. They're adept at time management, observation and monitoring and are competent in understanding and using the tools necessary for facial procedures and extractions. Certified estheticians are familiar with medical, spreadsheets, and word processing software. They present a professional appearance and have the physical fitness to stand for prolonged periods of time. A career in esthetics generally requires working evening and weekend hours.
Online Esthetician Training
Online esthetician classes are accommodating for Norwich CT students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced because many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it's imperative that the training program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetician Programs
Following is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Norwich home, in addition to the expense of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician training program 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 meet their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of 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 a Good Reputation? Each esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Norwich CT salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And last, contact the Connecticut school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you enroll in a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to launch a Norwich CT beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and mastering esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty program furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. So look for alternate schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's imperative that she or he receives assistance in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help develop relationships with Norwich CT employers that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? 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 department. Talk to a counselor and learn 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 also. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an option until you find out what financial aid may be offered.
More Info on How to Become an Aesthetician in Norwich
Enroll in the Best Norwich Esthetician Course
Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is imperative to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to consolidate all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the institution and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are ready to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Norwich Connecticut.