How to Find the Right Aesthetician College Near Alpharetta Georgia
Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Alpharetta GA, the task begins to locate and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the program you choose not only provides the proper instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be somewhat confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Alpharetta residence. Tuition will also be an important consideration when evaluating prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the right option. There are a number of other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what types of courses are offered.
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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 (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in Alpharetta Georgia 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 Classes
Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Alpharetta GA students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced given that many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not spending numerous hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the school you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Aesthetician Training Courses
Below is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Alpharetta residence, in addition to the expense of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. 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 essential to make certain that the esthetician school you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged 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 ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Alpharetta GA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Alpharetta GA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not considered. Finally, contact the Georgia school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted 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 facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often 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 objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to open a Alpharetta GA beauty salon, then you need 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 pursuing will not provide the training you need.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the best option for acquiring your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's crucial that she or he gets aid in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with Alpharetta GA businesses that are seeking 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, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Many esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an alternative before you find out what financial help may be offered.
Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in Alpharetta
Enroll in the Best Alpharetta Esthetician Program
Choosing and enrolling in the right esthetician program is important to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Don't forget to consolidate all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the academy and program you decide on are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, 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 right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are ready to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Alpharetta Georgia.
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