How to Enroll In the Right Esthetician Classes Near Shrewsbury Massachusetts
Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Shrewsbury MA, the process starts to find and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the school you select not only provides the proper instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be somewhat unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Shrewsbury residence. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when evaluating prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the right option. There are a number of other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what types of training programs are offered.
It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Esthetician Career Below!
Esthetician Training Programs
An esthetics program may be found in a school of cosmetology, a dedicated esthetics school or, in some cases, a junior college. An esthetics program’s length is generally determined by the state in which it is located, as each state board of cosmetology sets minimum requirements for the number of hours of training an esthetics program must provide to meet the state’s licensing requirements. However, it is also quite common for esthetics programs to offer more extensive study beyond what is required for licensing purposes. In general, an esthetics program consists of about 600 hours, a common requirement in many states. However, a number of states require less than 600 hours and perhaps just as many require more than 600. Most state boards of cosmetology maintain lists of approved programs of esthetics within the state, while others recognize all programs that meet the state’s minimum clock-hour requirement. A comprehensive esthetics program includes instruction not only in esthetic treatment procedures and services, but in areas such as the structure of the skin and its function, disorders of the skin, and professional business skills.
Esthetician Job Description
As skilled skincare experts, estheticians need to be knowledgeable of everything from skin histology and physiology to bacteriology and sanitation protocols. As beauty professionals, estheticians must be trained to perform the services that promote healthy, radiant skin – including everything from hair removal methods, pore cleansing and extractions to microdermabrasion, makeup artistry, chemical peels, and light therapy. As beauty and wellness experts, people also turn to estheticians for consultations, advice, and tips for home skincare regimens. They may recommend products, educate clients, and recommend esthetic procedures based on their clients’ needs and wants. Their work environments can include Shrewsbury Massachusetts spas, resorts, salons, hospitals, nursing facilities and dermatologist offices.
Online Esthetician Courses
Online esthetician classes are advantageous for Shrewsbury MA students who are employed full-time and have family obligations that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are many online cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed via a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced since many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you're not devoting many hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetics Programs
Below is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Shrewsbury home, as well as the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably 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 need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make certain that the esthetician school you enroll in 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Shrewsbury MA businesses will not recruit 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 school that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent 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, attesting 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 Shrewsbury MA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, 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 finally, contact the Massachusetts school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating 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 typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you enroll in a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your vision is to start a Shrewsbury 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 poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. So search for other 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 assistance in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help develop relationships with Shrewsbury MA businesses that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, find out 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 Assistance Offered? The majority of esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at 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 offered to students as well. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not discard it as an option until you find out what financial assistance may be offered.
Learn How to Become an Esthetician in Shrewsbury
Enroll in the Best Shrewsbury Esthetician Program
Choosing and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is imperative to get the proper 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. Make certain to collect all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the institution and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Shrewsbury Massachusetts.
Shrewsbury Esthetician Classes | Shrewsbury Medical Esthetician Schools