How to Select the Best Esthetician Program Near Fort Leonard Wood Missouri

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Fort Leonard Wood MO, the process starts to locate and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the school you pick not only provides the appropriate education for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you might be somewhat confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both relate 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 Fort Leonard Wood home. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when reviewing potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not always the right choice. There are many other considerations that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what kinds of programs are offered.

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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 (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in Fort Leonard Wood Missouri 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 Esthetician Classes

Online esthetician programs are convenient for Fort Leonard Wood MO students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be attended via a desktop 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 brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online 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 important that the training program you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Aesthetician Trade Schools

Below is a list of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Fort Leonard Wood home, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your first 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 additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician training program you select 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 available for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Fort Leonard Wood MO employers 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?  Any esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Fort Leonard Wood MO salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And last, consult the Missouri school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  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 particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you decide on a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to open a Fort Leonard Wood MO beauty salon, then you want 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 weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Any Live Training Provided?  Learning and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's imperative that she or he receives support in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with Fort Leonard Wood MO employers that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered?  Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and learn 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 offered to students also. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an alternative until you determine what financial aid may be available.

Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in Fort Leonard Wood

Enroll in the Right Fort Leonard Wood Esthetician Program

Choosing and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is essential to get the necessary 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 responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the institution and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are ready to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Fort Leonard Wood Missouri.

 

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