How to Enroll In the Right Aesthetician Training Program Near Burlington Massachusetts
Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Burlington MA, the task begins to search for and enroll in the right program. It's imperative that the school you pick not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be rather puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Burlington residence. Tuition will also be an important factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the best option. There are a number of other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for instance 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 little bit about what kinds of training 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 provide a wide range of beauty services to help their Burlington Massachusetts clients look and feel better. This includes improving the quality of the skin (including the treatment of skin disorders), hair removal, permanent makeup application, and facial massage. Some types of estheticians, like medical estheticians, provide highly specialized procedures that require detailed training in order for it to be done safely and effectively. Medical estheticians can help individuals suffering from serious skin disorders, burns, and other trauma, and to help with pre and post-operative surgery affecting the health of their skin. Estheticians work closely with their clients in a friendly and positive manner, so an enthusiastic attitude and desire to help people is an excellent attribute for an aspiring esthetician to possess. Some of the basic duties an esthetician may perform will include such tasks as:
- Assessing a patient’s needs
- Chemical peels
- Laser treatments
- Waxing
- Facials
- Massage of the head and neck
- Microdermabrasion
Online Esthetician Schools
Online esthetician classes are accommodating for Burlington MA students who are employed full time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs available that can be attended by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced given that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or driving to and from classes. However, it's imperative that the school you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Aesthetician Schools
Following is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Burlington residence, together with the price of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician training program 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Burlington MA employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Burlington MA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And finally, check with the Massachusetts school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often 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 intention 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 open a Burlington MA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty program provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's crucial that she or he gets support in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish help maintain relationships with Burlington MA businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and learn 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 accessible to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you learn what financial assistance may be offered.
Learn How to Become an Esthetician in Burlington
Enroll in the Best Burlington Esthetician Training
Selecting and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is important to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to compile all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Burlington Massachusetts.
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