How to Enroll In the Right Aesthetician Program Near Andover Minnesota
Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Andover MN, the task starts to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It's imperative that the school you choose not only provides the necessary education for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be rather confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Andover residence. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when assessing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the right option. There are many other qualifications that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what kinds of training programs are available.
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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 provide a wide range of beauty services to help their Andover Minnesota 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 Esthetics Courses
Online esthetician schools are advantageous for Andover MN students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based beauty school programs available that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not devoting many hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it's essential that the school you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to gain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Aesthetician Training Programs
Below is a list of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Andover residence, together with the cost of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like 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 initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary 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 organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Andover MN businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Andover MN salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And last, contact the Minnesota 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? 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 example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to open a Andover MN beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and refining esthetician skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask 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 make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty program furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best option for acquiring your skills. So look 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 she or he gets support in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish help develop relationships with Andover MN businesses that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. 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 available to students also. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not eliminate it as an alternative before you find out what financial help may be provided.
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Enroll in the Right Andover Esthetician Program
Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician program is important to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident 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 use that data to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the academy and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Andover Minnesota.