How to Select the Best Esthetician Classes Near Auburn Maine
Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Auburn ME, the task begins to find and enroll in the best program. It's important that the program you choose not only furnishes the necessary training for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be a little bit unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially 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 Auburn home. Tuition will likewise be a critical consideration when reviewing potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the best option. There are several other factors that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types of programs are available.
It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Esthetician Career Below!
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 provide a wide range of beauty services to help their Auburn Maine 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 Classes
Online esthetician classes are accommodating for Auburn ME students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are frequently fast paced since many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not spending numerous hours outside of your home or travelling to and from classes. However, it's essential that the training 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 complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Aesthetician Degree Programs
Below is a series of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Auburn home, together with the cost of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled some of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician college you enroll in 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Auburn ME employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Every esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. 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 sought after. Check rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Auburn ME salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. And finally, check with the Maine school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically 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 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 launch a Auburn ME beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach 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 deliver the training you need.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school offers limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore search for other schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's imperative that he or she receives help in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer assistance develop relationships with Auburn ME employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Many 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 identify 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 also. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not drop it as an option until you learn what financial aid may be provided.
Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in Auburn
Enroll in the Best Auburn Esthetician Program
Choosing and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is essential to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to consolidate all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Auburn Maine.