How to Choose the Best Esthetician School Near Erie Pennsylvania
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Erie PA, the process starts to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It's important that the school you select not only furnishes the proper training for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. 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 names are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Erie residence. Tuition will likewise be a critical aspect when assessing potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the right option. There are various other factors that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what types of programs are offered.
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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 Erie 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 Courses
Online esthetician classes are accommodating for Erie PA students who are working full-time and have family commitments 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 desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are often 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 dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not devoting many hours outside of your home or travelling to and from classes. However, it's essential that the school you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. 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 Esthetician Degree Programs
Following is a list of questions that you should research for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Erie residence, together with the cost of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary 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 organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Erie PA businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Erie PA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And last, check with the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you pick a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your goal 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 Erie PA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Learning and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty program offers limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. So try to find other 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 crucial that he or she gets support in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer assistance develop relationships with Erie PA businesses that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students also. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you determine what financial assistance may be available.
Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in Erie
Enroll in the Best Erie Esthetician Course
Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is imperative to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make 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 responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the academy and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions provided 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 examination, you will be self-assured that you are ready to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Erie Pennsylvania.