It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Esthetician Career Below!
What to Ask Esthetics Schools
Following is a list of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Derry home, as well as the expense of tuition, will most likely be your primary 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 preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician school you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Derry PA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Every esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Derry PA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. And last, contact the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you choose a school that focuses on 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 Derry PA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and refining esthetician skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's important that he or she gets aid in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer assistance maintain relationships with Derry PA employers that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Many esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might get approved 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 each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not discard it as an option before you find out what financial assistance may be offered.