How to Find the Right Aesthetician School Near Ridgefield Connecticut

Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Ridgefield CT, the process starts to find and enroll in the ideal program. It's important that the school you choose not only furnishes the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you might be rather confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Ridgefield residence. Tuition will additionally be an important consideration when assessing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the best choice. There are various other factors that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what types of training programs are offered.

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Esthetician 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 Ridgefield 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 Esthetics Courses

Online esthetician programs are convenient for Ridgefield CT students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty schools are typically fast paced given that many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it's essential that the program you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Aesthetician Programs

Below is a list of questions that you should research for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Ridgefield home, in addition to the expense of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish 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 must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have collected some of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make certain that the esthetician training program you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged 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 superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Ridgefield CT employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Each esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good 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, attesting that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Ridgefield CT salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. And finally, contact the Connecticut school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your objective 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 vision is to launch a Ridgefield CT beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Enough Live Training Provided?  Learning and mastering esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on volunteers. 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 enable students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best option for acquiring your skills. So look for other schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's essential that he or she receives support in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer assistance develop relationships with Ridgefield CT employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Available?  Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might get approved 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 cost, do not discard it as an option before you learn what financial assistance may be available.

Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in Ridgefield

Enroll in the Right Ridgefield Esthetician Course

Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is essential to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Ridgefield Connecticut.

 

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