How to Pick the Right Esthetician Classes Near Scarborough Maine
Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Scarborough ME, the process begins to locate and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the program you choose not only furnishes the proper education for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be somewhat confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Scarborough residence. Tuition will also be an important consideration when evaluating prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not necessarily the ideal option. There are many other factors that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what kinds 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 Scarborough 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 Esthetics Courses
Online esthetician classes are convenient for Scarborough ME students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not devoting many hours outside of your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the school you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Aesthetician Schools
Below is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Scarborough home, together with the expense of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician training program you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards assuring a quality 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, many Scarborough ME businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Every esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating 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 referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Scarborough ME salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And finally, check with the Maine school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden 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 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 dream is to start a Scarborough 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 deliver the training you need.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and refining esthetician techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty school furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore search for other schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's imperative that she or he receives aid in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help develop relationships with Scarborough ME employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have wide 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. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might 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 cost, do not discard it as an option until you find out what financial help may be provided.
Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in Scarborough
Enroll in the Best Scarborough Esthetician Program
Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician program is imperative to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Don't forget to collect all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, 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 examination, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Scarborough Maine.
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