How to Select the Right Esthetician Course Near Beltsville Maryland

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Beltsville MD, the process begins to find and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the school you choose not only provides 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 may be rather unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Beltsville residence. Tuition will additionally be a critical aspect when assessing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the ideal choice. There are many other factors that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in 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 Beltsville 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 Esthetics Schools

Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Beltsville MD students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the training program you choose 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 portion of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills necessary 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.

Questions to Ask Aesthetician Schools

Following is a series of questions that you should research for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Beltsville home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled several of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician college you select 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Beltsville MD employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Every esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Beltsville MD salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. Finally, check with the Maryland 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 comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your desire is to start a Beltsville MD beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided?  Practicing and mastering esthetician skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty program provides limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for developing your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's essential that she or he receives support in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid develop relationships with Beltsville MD businesses that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, find out 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 Available?  Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students too. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not omit it as an alternative before you find out what financial aid may be available.

Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in Beltsville

Enroll in the Best Beltsville Esthetician Training

Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician program is important to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you pick are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Beltsville Maryland.

 

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