How to Choose the Right Esthetician College Near Hickory North Carolina
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Hickory NC, the process begins to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It's important that the school you choose not only provides the necessary education for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be rather confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Hickory residence. Tuition will additionally be an important consideration when assessing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the ideal choice. There are various other factors that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types of training programs are available.
It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Esthetician Career Below!
Esthetician 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 (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in Hickory North Carolina 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 Esthetics Training
Online esthetician classes are advantageous for Hickory NC students who are employed full time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed through a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are often fast paced given that many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the training program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to gain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Esthetics Degree Programs
Below is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Hickory residence, together with the expense of tuition, will most likely be your initial 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 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 collected several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician school you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Hickory NC employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references 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 regarded. Check rating companies for reviews together with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Hickory NC salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And last, contact the North Carolina school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you pick a school that focuses on 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 respected for that program. If your desire is to launch a Hickory NC 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 weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and refining esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty program offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for developing your skills. Therefore search for other schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that she or he receives aid in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid develop relationships with Hickory NC employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Most 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. Speak with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students also. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an alternative before you find out what financial assistance may be provided.
Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in Hickory
Enroll in the Right Hickory Esthetician Course
Choosing and enrolling in the right esthetician program is imperative to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to collect all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions presented 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 examination, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Hickory North Carolina.