How to Pick the Right Esthetician Training Near Grand Rapids Michigan

Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Grand Rapids MI, the task starts to find and enroll in the right program. It's important that the program you pick not only provides the necessary instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be rather unclear 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 type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Grand Rapids home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when evaluating possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the right choice. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what kinds of courses are offered.

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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 provide a wide range of beauty services to help their Grand Rapids Michigan clients look and feel better. This includes improving the quality of the skin (including the treatment of skin disorders), hair removal, permanent makeup application, and facial massage. Some types of estheticians, like medical estheticians, provide highly specialized procedures that require detailed training in order for it to be done safely and effectively. Medical estheticians can help individuals suffering from serious skin disorders, burns, and other trauma, and to help with pre and post-operative surgery affecting the health of their skin. Estheticians work closely with their clients in a friendly and positive manner, so an enthusiastic attitude and desire to help people is an excellent attribute for an aspiring esthetician to possess. Some of the basic duties an esthetician may perform will include such tasks as:

• Assessing a patient’s needs
• Chemical peels
• Laser treatments
• Waxing
• Facials
• Massage of the head and neck
• Microdermabrasion

Online Esthetician Programs

Online esthetician programs are accommodating for Grand Rapids MI students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced because many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. However, it's important that the school you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Degree Programs

Below is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Grand Rapids home, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue 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 initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician college you pick 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 ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently 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 final benefit, many Grand Rapids MI employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Every esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Grand Rapids MI salon owners or managers, or anyone 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 Michigan school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in complete 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, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you decide on a school that focuses on 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 well regarded for that program. If your aspiration is to launch a Grand Rapids MI 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 rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided?  Practicing and mastering esthetician skills and techniques demands lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. So search for other schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's imperative that he or she gets aid in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer assistance develop relationships with Grand Rapids MI businesses that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered?  Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and find out 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 accessible to students too. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an option before you determine what financial help may be available.

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Enroll in the Right Grand Rapids Esthetician Course

Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician school is important to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Be sure to compile all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Grand Rapids Michigan.

 

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