How to Select the Best Aesthetician College Near Andover Massachusetts

Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Andover MA, the task starts to search for and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the school you select not only furnishes the necessary training for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be a little bit unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Andover residence. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when assessing potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not always the ideal option. There are several other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what kinds of programs are available.

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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 Andover Massachusetts 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 classes are accommodating for Andover MA students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed through a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty schools are frequently fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not spending many hours away from your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so 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 necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Classes

Following is a series of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Andover residence, together with the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first 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 choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make sure 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a superior 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 concluding benefit, numerous Andover MA businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Any esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Andover MA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. And last, contact the Massachusetts 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 Specialty?  A number of 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, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you decide on a school that specializes in 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 aspiration is to start a Andover MA beauty salon, then you want 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 poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided?  Studying and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology courses 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 school furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best option for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's essential that he or she gets aid in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid develop relationships with Andover MA employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered?  Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and identify 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 also. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an alternative before you find out what financial assistance may be provided.

Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in Andover

Enroll in the Best Andover Esthetician Training

Choosing and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is essential to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A reasonable 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 profession. If you start 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 ideal choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are ready to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Andover Massachusetts.

 

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