How to Enroll In the Right Esthetician Training Program Near Burlington Massachusetts
Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Burlington MA, the task begins to search for and enroll in the best program. It's important that the school you select not only provides the proper instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be rather unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Burlington residence. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when evaluating prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the right option. There are a number of other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what types of programs are available.
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Esthetician Training Programs
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 Burlington 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 Schools
Online esthetician classes are accommodating for Burlington MA students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced given that many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not spending many hours away from your home or driving to and from classes. However, it's important that the school you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetics Schools
Below is a series of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Burlington residence, together with the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary 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 options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled some of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician college you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Burlington MA businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively 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 field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Burlington MA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. Finally, contact the Massachusetts school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? 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 instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you choose a school that focuses on 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 respected for that program. If your aspiration is to start 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 ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and refining esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty school provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. So look for alternate schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's imperative that she or he gets assistance in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer assistance develop relationships with Burlington MA businesses that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, 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 regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an alternative before you determine what financial help may be offered.
Learn How to Become an Esthetician in Burlington
Enroll in the Best Burlington Esthetician Program
Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician college is important to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the college and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Burlington Massachusetts.
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