How to Choose the Right Aesthetician School Near Abington Pennsylvania

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Abington PA, the task begins to search for and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the school you choose not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be a little bit unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Abington home. Tuition will additionally be an important consideration when evaluating possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the ideal choice. There are several other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what types of training programs are available.

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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 Abington Pennsylvania 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 programs are advantageous for Abington PA 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 online beauty school programs available that can be accessed through a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are typically fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the training program you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to gain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So be sure 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 series of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Abington home, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely 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 reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician college you enroll in 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Abington PA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Each esthetician college that you are seriously considering 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 businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Abington PA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. And last, check with the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints 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 facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance 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 focuses on 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 vision is to start a Abington PA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.

Is Enough Live Training Provided?  Studying and refining esthetician skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program offers limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best option for acquiring your skills. Therefore search for other schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's imperative that he or she gets support in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer help develop relationships with Abington PA businesses that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, find out 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 Aid Available?  Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and find out 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 too. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not eliminate it as an alternative before you find out what financial aid may be offered.

Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in Abington

Enroll in the Best Abington Esthetician Training

Locating and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is imperative to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to compile all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Abington Pennsylvania.

 

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