How to Select the Right Aesthetician School Near North Andover Massachusetts

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near North Andover MA, the task starts to find and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the school you select not only provides the necessary instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you may be a little bit puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your North Andover home. Tuition will additionally be an important consideration when reviewing potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not automatically the best choice. There are many other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example 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 talk a bit about what kinds of programs are offered.

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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 North 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 Esthetics Training

Online esthetician classes are convenient for North Andover MA students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are frequently fast paced given that many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not devoting many hours away from your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the school you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Degree Programs

Below is a list of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your North Andover home, together with the cost of tuition, will probably be your primary 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 options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected some of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician college you enroll in 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many North Andover MA employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Each esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with North Andover MA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. And last, contact the Massachusetts school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your goal is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to start a North Andover MA beauty salon, then you need 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 poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided?  Studying and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology lessons 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 furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best option for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's imperative that he or she gets assistance in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with North Andover MA businesses that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm 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 department. Consult with 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 offered to students also. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an option until you determine what financial help may be offered.

Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in North Andover

Enroll in the Best North Andover Esthetician Program

Choosing and enrolling in the right esthetician program is essential to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to consolidate all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are qualified to begin your career as a professional esthetician in North Andover Massachusetts.

 

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