How to Choose the Best Esthetician School Near Ottumwa Iowa
Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Ottumwa IA, the process begins to search for and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the school you choose not only furnishes the appropriate education for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be rather 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 intend on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Ottumwa home. Tuition will likewise be a critical aspect when assessing possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not always the ideal option. There are a number of other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example 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 types of courses 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 provide a wide range of beauty services to help their Ottumwa Iowa clients look and feel better. This includes improving the quality of the skin (including the treatment of skin disorders), hair removal, permanent makeup application, and facial massage. Some types of estheticians, like medical estheticians, provide highly specialized procedures that require detailed training in order for it to be done safely and effectively. Medical estheticians can help individuals suffering from serious skin disorders, burns, and other trauma, and to help with pre and post-operative surgery affecting the health of their skin. Estheticians work closely with their clients in a friendly and positive manner, so an enthusiastic attitude and desire to help people is an excellent attribute for an aspiring esthetician to possess. Some of the basic duties an esthetician may perform will include such tasks as:
- Assessing a patient’s needs
- Chemical peels
- Laser treatments
- Waxing
- Facials
- Massage of the head and neck
- Microdermabrasion
Online Esthetician Programs
Online esthetician schools are advantageous for Ottumwa IA students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are often fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you're not devoting many hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it's essential that the program you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Aesthetician Degree Programs
Following is a series of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Ottumwa home, as well as the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician school 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 measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Ottumwa IA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Each esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. 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 as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Ottumwa IA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. And last, check with the Iowa school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? 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 broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your intention 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 desire is to open a Ottumwa IA 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 weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. So look for other schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's crucial that he or she receives support in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help develop relationships with Ottumwa IA employers that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students also. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an alternative until you find out what financial assistance may be available.
Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in Ottumwa
Enroll in the Best Ottumwa Esthetician Training
Choosing and enrolling in the right esthetician college is imperative to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to consolidate all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you start 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 selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Ottumwa Iowa.