How to Pick the Best Aesthetician Program Near Bloomington Minnesota
Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Bloomington MN, the task begins to find and enroll in the ideal program. It's essential that the program you choose not only furnishes the appropriate training for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be a little bit puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Bloomington residence. Tuition will also be an important consideration when assessing possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not necessarily the right choice. There are a number of other considerations that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types of training programs 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 Bloomington 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 classes are convenient for Bloomington MN students who are employed full time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs offered that can be attended through a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are frequently 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 dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not spending numerous hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it's imperative that the school you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetician Degree Programs
Following is a list of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Bloomington home, in addition to the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician school you choose 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for getting 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, numerous Bloomington MN businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Bloomington MN salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And finally, 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? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically 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 intention 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 start a Bloomington MN 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 ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty school provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on using mannequins, it might not be the best option for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for other schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's crucial that she or he gets support in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish aid maintain relationships with Bloomington MN businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Many 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. Talk to a counselor and find out 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 as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not omit it as an alternative until you learn what financial aid may be available.
Learn How to Become an Esthetician in Bloomington
Enroll in the Right Bloomington Esthetician Training
Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is imperative to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Don't forget to consolidate all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the college and program you pick are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this post, 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 exam, you will be self-assured that you are ready to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Bloomington Minnesota.
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