How to Choose the Right Esthetician School Near Cedar Falls Iowa

Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Cedar Falls IA, the task begins to locate and enroll in the right program. It's imperative that the school you choose not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be a little bit confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Cedar Falls home. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when reviewing possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not automatically the best option. There are a number of other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what kinds of training programs are available.

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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 Cedar Falls Iowa 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 Classes

Online esthetician programs are accommodating for Cedar Falls IA students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended via a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty programs are often fast paced given that many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending numerous hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the program you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Programs

Below is a series of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Cedar Falls residence, as well as the expense of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make certain that the esthetician training program you pick 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 meet their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for getting 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 Cedar Falls IA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Any esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Cedar Falls IA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. Finally, check with the Iowa school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you decide on a school that specializes in 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 desire is to start a Cedar Falls IA 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 regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.

Is Any Live Training Provided?  Learning and refining esthetician techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on people. 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 campus that make it possible for students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty program furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's essential that she or he gets assistance in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with Cedar Falls IA employers that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered?  Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an alternative before you determine what financial assistance may be provided.

Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in Cedar Falls

Enroll in the Right Cedar Falls Esthetician Course

Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to consolidate all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize 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 school and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to start your career as a professional esthetician in Cedar Falls Iowa.

 

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