How to Choose the Right Esthetician Program Near Biddeford Maine
Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Biddeford ME, the process starts to search for and enroll in the right program. It's important that the program you select not only furnishes the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be rather puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Biddeford home. Tuition will likewise be an important consideration when evaluating potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the ideal option. There are a number of other factors that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as 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 training programs 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 (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in Biddeford Maine 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 Programs
Online esthetician schools are accommodating for Biddeford ME students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs offered that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are often fast paced because many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not devoting many hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it's imperative that the school you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Aesthetician Training Programs
Following is a series of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Biddeford residence, as well as the expense of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician training program you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, 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 necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Biddeford ME businesses 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? Any esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent 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, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Biddeford ME salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And last, check with the Maine 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? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you enroll in a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your goal is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to start a Biddeford ME beauty salon, then you want 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 pursuing will not provide the training you need.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Studying and refining esthetician techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty program furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best 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 she or he gets assistance in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish help maintain relationships with Biddeford ME businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Many esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and identify 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 offered to students also. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an alternative before you find out what financial help may be available.
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Enroll in the Right Biddeford Esthetician Course
Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is imperative to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to collect all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you pick are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are ready to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Biddeford Maine.
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