How to Choose the Right Esthetician College Near Maplewood Minnesota
Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Maplewood MN, the process starts to find and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the program you pick not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you might be somewhat confused 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 kind of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Maplewood residence. Tuition will additionally be an important aspect when assessing potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not automatically the right option. There are various other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what types of programs are offered.
It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Esthetician Career Below!
Esthetics 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 Maplewood 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 Esthetician Training
Online esthetician schools are convenient for Maplewood MN students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced given that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you're not devoting many hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the school you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Esthetics Training Classes
Following is a list of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Maplewood residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician school you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged 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 assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Maplewood MN businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably 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 exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Maplewood MN salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. And last, check with the Minnesota school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed 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, focusing 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 commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your aspiration is to open a Maplewood 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 rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology lessons 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 provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. So search for alternate schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's essential that he or she gets aid in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with Maplewood MN businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, ask 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 Assistance Available? Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students too. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not omit it as an alternative until you determine what financial assistance may be offered.
Learn How to Become an Esthetician in Maplewood
Enroll in the Right Maplewood Esthetician Training
Locating and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is important to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to collect all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you pick are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Maplewood Minnesota.
Maplewood Aesthetician Schools | Maplewood Esthetician Schools