How to Select the Best Esthetician Program Near Allentown Pennsylvania
Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Allentown PA, the task begins to search for and enroll in the right program. It's important that the program you pick not only provides the necessary instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be rather confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Allentown residence. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the best choice. There are various other factors that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types of courses are available.
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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 Allentown 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 Esthetician Classes
Online esthetician classes are convenient for Allentown PA students who are employed full time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs available that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced given that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not devoting many hours away from your home or driving to and from classes. However, it's essential that the training program you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Esthetician Trade Schools
Below is a series of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Allentown residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make certain that the esthetician college you choose 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Allentown PA employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Allentown PA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. And finally, contact the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you enroll in a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your objective 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 desire is to launch a Allentown PA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques demands lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty program provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for developing your skills. So try to find alternate schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's crucial that she or he gets aid in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer assistance maintain relationships with Allentown PA employers that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students as well. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an alternative before you determine what financial assistance may be provided.
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Enroll in the Best Allentown Esthetician Program
Locating and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is important to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to collect all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Allentown Pennsylvania.
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