How to Pick the Best Esthetician Training Program Near Baltimore Maryland
Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Baltimore MD, the task starts to locate and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the program you select not only provides the necessary education for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you might be rather puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Baltimore home. Tuition will likewise be a critical aspect when evaluating prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not automatically the best choice. There are several other factors that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types of training programs are offered.
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Esthetics 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 Baltimore Maryland 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 Training
Online esthetician schools are advantageous for Baltimore MD students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended via a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty schools are often fast paced since 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 volume of material, but you're not spending many hours outside of your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the school you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Esthetics Programs
Below is a series of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Baltimore residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will probably be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make certain that the esthetician college you select 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 meet their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically 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, many Baltimore MD businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Baltimore MD salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not considered. Finally, contact the Maryland school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are broad 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 frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you select a school that specializes in 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 aspiration is to open a Baltimore MD beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished 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 volunteers. If a beauty academy offers limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies predominantly on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's essential that he or she gets support in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with Baltimore MD employers that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Almost all 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 department. Consult with a counselor and find out 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 offered to students too. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not drop it as an option until you learn what financial help may be available.
Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in Baltimore
Enroll in the Right Baltimore Esthetician Training
Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to compile all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that information to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to start your career as a professional esthetician in Baltimore Maryland.
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