How to Find the Right Aesthetician Program Near Gloucester Massachusetts
Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Gloucester MA, the process begins to find and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the school you select not only furnishes the proper education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you may be a little bit puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Gloucester residence. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the ideal option. There are various other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what kinds of courses 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 Gloucester 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 Courses
Online esthetician programs are accommodating for Gloucester MA students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed via a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced since many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it's vital that the program you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part 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 school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Esthetics Schools
Below is a series of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Gloucester home, together with the price of tuition, will probably be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected several of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician college you choose 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 meet their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Gloucester MA businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Gloucester MA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. And last, check with the Massachusetts school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you select a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to launch a Gloucester MA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities 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 allow students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty program provides limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective option 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 academy, it's essential that he or she gets support in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help develop relationships with Gloucester MA businesses that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, 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 respected 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 looking at have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students as well. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not drop it as an option before you find out what financial help may be provided.
Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in Gloucester
Enroll in the Best Gloucester Esthetician Training
Selecting and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is imperative to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Don't forget to consolidate all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are ready to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Gloucester Massachusetts.
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