How to Enroll In the Right Esthetician School 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 starts to find and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the program you choose not only provides the necessary instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. 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 basically interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your South Boston home. Tuition will likewise be an important consideration when assessing potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not always the right choice. There are various other factors that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what types of training 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 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 Esthetics Classes
Online esthetician classes are advantageous for South Boston MA students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs available that can be accessed via a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty schools are typically fast paced because many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not spending numerous hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it's essential that the training program you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Esthetician Training Programs
Below is a list of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your South Boston residence, as well as the price of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make certain 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 comply with their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of South Boston MA businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with South Boston MA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. Finally, 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 Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you select 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 respected for that program. If your vision is to start a South Boston 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 rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and mastering esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. So look for other schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's essential that she or he gets support in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance develop relationships with South Boston MA employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of esthetician schools offer 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 identify what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not drop it as an alternative until you learn what financial assistance may be offered.
Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in South Boston
Enroll in the Best South Boston Esthetician Training
Selecting and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is essential to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the academy and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, 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 exam, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your career as a professional esthetician in South Boston Massachusetts.
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