How to Pick the Right Esthetician Course Near Bowie Maryland

Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Bowie MD, the process starts to find and enroll in the best program. It's important that the school you select not only furnishes the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you may be a little bit confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Bowie residence. Tuition will additionally be an important consideration when reviewing possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the best choice. There are several other qualifications 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 within this article. Before we do, let's talk a 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 Bowie 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 convenient for Bowie MD students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs available that can be accessed via a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are frequently fast paced given that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not spending numerous hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the program you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Aesthetician Programs

Below is a list of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Bowie home, together with the cost of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician school 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 comply with their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Bowie MD employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Each esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Bowie MD salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. Finally, consult the Maryland school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in complete 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, 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 essential that you pick a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your ambition 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 Bowie MD beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided?  Studying and mastering esthetician skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included 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 little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that she or he gets aid in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid maintain relationships with Bowie MD businesses that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered?  The majority of esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Consult 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 too. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you learn what financial assistance may be offered.

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Enroll in the Right Bowie Esthetician Course

Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Don't forget to organize all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Bowie Maryland.

 

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