How to Select the Right Aesthetician College Near South Boston Massachusetts

Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near South Boston MA, the task begins to find and enroll in the right program. It's imperative that the school you choose not only furnishes the proper training for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be rather confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your South Boston home. Tuition will also be an important aspect when reviewing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not always the ideal choice. There are many other factors that you should weigh when reviewing 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 discuss a bit about what kinds of training programs are available.

It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Esthetician Career Below!

Esthetics 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 South Boston 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 Programs

Online esthetician classes are accommodating for South Boston MA students who are employed full-time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are many online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed through a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are frequently fast paced given that many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not devoting many hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it's imperative that the program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Training Courses

Following is a series of questions that you should research for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your South Boston residence, as well as the expense of tuition, will most likely be your initial 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 options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's essential to make certain that the esthetician college you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many South Boston MA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Every esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with South Boston MA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And last, consult the Massachusetts school licensing authority to see 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, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you decide on a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your vision is to start a South Boston MA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided?  Studying and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty school offers limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for other schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's essential that he or she gets assistance in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide assistance develop relationships with South Boston MA businesses that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and find out 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 accessible to students as well. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not omit it as an option before you learn what financial help may be provided.

Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in South Boston

Enroll in the Best South Boston Esthetician Course

Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is important to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Don't forget to organize 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 compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in South Boston Massachusetts.

 

South Boston Esthetician Schools Near Me | South Boston Esthetician Programs