It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Esthetician Career Below!
What to Ask Esthetician Training Courses
Following is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Westfield residence, as well as the cost of tuition, will probably be your initial 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 options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled some of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician school 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 meet their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Westfield IN employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician college 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 endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Westfield IN salon owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. Finally, contact the Indiana school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed 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 particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you pick a school that focuses on 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 Westfield IN beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly regarded 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 plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty program offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on using mannequins, it might not be the best option for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for other schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's important that he or she receives help in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance develop relationships with Westfield IN employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at 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 accessible to students too. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an option before you find out what financial assistance may be available.