How to Enroll In the Right Aesthetician School Near Kent Ohio
Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Kent OH, the process starts to locate and enroll in the ideal program. It's essential that the school you pick not only provides the appropriate training for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you might be somewhat unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Kent residence. Tuition will additionally be an important aspect when assessing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not always the right option. There are several other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what kinds of training programs are offered.
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Esthetics 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 Kent 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 Esthetician Training
Online esthetician schools are accommodating for Kent OH students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs offered that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty programs are frequently fast paced given that many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or commuting to and from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the school you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Esthetics Programs
Below is a list of questions that you should research for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Kent home, in addition to the price of tuition, will probably 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 should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected some of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician training program 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 ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Kent OH businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Kent OH salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And 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 Specialty? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you select a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your goal 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 launch a Kent 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 pursuing will not deliver the training you require.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty program offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. So search for alternate schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's essential that he or she receives support in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish help maintain relationships with Kent OH businesses that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students also. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an option before you determine what financial help may be available.
More Info on How to Become an Aesthetician in Kent
Enroll in the Best Kent Esthetician Program
Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is imperative to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Don't forget to organize all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the institution and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this post, 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 test, you will be self-assured that you are ready to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Kent Ohio.