How to Select the Right Aesthetician Program Near Ramapo New York
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Ramapo NY, the process begins to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It's important that the school you pick not only furnishes the proper instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be rather confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Ramapo home. Tuition will also be an important factor when evaluating potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the right choice. There are several other qualifications that you should weigh when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types of training programs 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 Ramapo New York 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 Courses
Online esthetician schools are advantageous for Ramapo NY students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it difficult 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 traditional cosmetology schools are often fast paced given that many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not devoting numerous hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the school you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetician Trade Schools
Following is a series of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Ramapo home, in addition to the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options 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 collected some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make certain that the esthetician school you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified 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 guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which frequently 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, a number of Ramapo NY 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? Every esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Ramapo NY salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. And last, contact the New York school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you decide on 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 dream is to open a Ramapo NY beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct 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 provide the training you need.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and refining esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty academy provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best option for cultivating your skills. So try to find other schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's crucial that he or she receives assistance in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer assistance develop relationships with Ramapo NY employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Talk to 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 available to students too. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an option before you find out what financial aid may be provided.
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Enroll in the Right Ramapo Esthetician Program
Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician school is essential to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Don't forget to compile all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, 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 test, you will be confident that you are prepared to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Ramapo New York.