How to Enroll In the Right Aesthetician School Near Billerica Massachusetts
Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Billerica MA, the task begins to locate and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the program you pick not only provides the necessary training for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be rather unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Billerica residence. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when evaluating possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not always the best choice. There are various other considerations 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 in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what kinds of programs are available.
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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 Billerica 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 Esthetics Schools
Online esthetician classes are advantageous for Billerica MA students who are employed full-time and have family obligations that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs offered that can be attended via a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are often fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you're not devoting numerous hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it's essential that the training program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Esthetician Degree Programs
Below is a series of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Billerica home, in addition to the expense of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following 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 certain that the esthetician college you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified 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 assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Billerica MA 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 Good Reputation? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify 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 Billerica MA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And last, contact the Massachusetts school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular 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 objective 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 Billerica 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 rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Practicing and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty academy provides limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on using mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for developing your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that she or he receives aid in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance develop relationships with Billerica MA employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? The majority of 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 office. Speak with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students also. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not discard it as an alternative until you learn what financial aid may be offered.
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Enroll in the Right Billerica Esthetician Training
Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician school is important to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to collect all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions presented in this article, 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 confident that you are ready to start your career as a professional esthetician in Billerica Massachusetts.
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