How to Choose the Best Esthetician Program Near Athens Georgia
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Athens GA, the task starts to search for and enroll in the right program. It's important that the school you pick not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be a little bit unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Athens home. Tuition will additionally be an important consideration when evaluating possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the best choice. There are many other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what types of training programs are offered.
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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 Athens 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 Athens GA students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs available that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty schools are frequently fast paced since many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you're not spending many hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the school you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to gain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetician Trade Schools
Below is a list of questions that you should research for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Athens home, in addition to the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician training program you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Athens GA businesses 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 evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Athens GA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And last, contact the Georgia school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you decide on 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 well regarded for that program. If your dream is to open a Athens GA 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 rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Studying and refining esthetician techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty program offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on using mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's important that he or she gets assistance in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develop relationships with Athens GA employers that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and find out 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 too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an option before you determine what financial assistance may be available.
Learn How to Become an Esthetician in Athens
Enroll in the Right Athens Esthetician Training
Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician college is essential to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to collect all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the institution and program you pick are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are ready to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Athens Georgia.