How to Find the Right Aesthetician Training Near Kentwood Michigan
Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Kentwood MI, the task begins to find and enroll in the best program. It's important that the school you pick not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be rather unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Kentwood home. Tuition will likewise be a critical factor when assessing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not always the right choice. There are many other factors that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what kinds of courses are offered.
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Esthetician 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 Kentwood Michigan 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 Schools
Online esthetician programs are convenient for Kentwood MI students who are employed full time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended via a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are typically fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you're not devoting many hours outside of your home or commuting to and from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the training program you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Aesthetician Schools
Below is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Kentwood residence, together with the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together some of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.
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 recognized local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Kentwood MI employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Each esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for references 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 regarded. Check rating companies for reviews together with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Kentwood MI 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 propose others that you had not looked into. Finally, contact the Michigan school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you pick 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 well regarded for that program. If your desire is to open a Kentwood MI 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 regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Learning and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty program furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. So look for alternate schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's crucial that she or he receives help in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer assistance develop relationships with Kentwood MI employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might get approved 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 satisfies each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an option until you learn what financial help may be provided.
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Enroll in the Right Kentwood Esthetician Program
Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician program is imperative to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to consolidate all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the academy and program you pick are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are ready to start your career as a professional esthetician in Kentwood Michigan.
Kentwood Aesthetician Schools Near Me | Kentwood Esthetician Schools Near Me