How to Choose the Right Esthetician School Near Akron Ohio
Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Akron OH, the process begins to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It's important that the school you pick not only provides the proper instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be somewhat puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Akron residence. Tuition will likewise be an important aspect when reviewing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not always the right option. There are many other factors that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what kinds of training programs are available.
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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 Akron Ohio 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 Schools
Online esthetician schools are advantageous for Akron OH students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced given that many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending numerous hours outside of your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the training program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Aesthetician Degree Programs
Following is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Akron home, as well as the price of tuition, will probably 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 reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician training program you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Akron OH businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Akron OH salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. Finally, check with the Ohio school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you decide on a school that specializes in 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 dream is to start a Akron OH 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 ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Learning and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty school provides limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best option for developing your skills. So look for alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's essential that he or she gets support in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide assistance develop relationships with Akron OH businesses that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have wide 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. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and identify 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 available to students as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an option before you learn what financial help may be offered.
Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in Akron
Enroll in the Right Akron Esthetician Training
Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to organize 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 compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are ready to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Akron Ohio.
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