How to Select the Right Aesthetician College Near Montgomery Pennsylvania

Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Montgomery PA, the task begins to find and enroll in the right program. It's imperative that the program you pick not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be somewhat unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Montgomery home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when reviewing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not automatically the right choice. There are several other factors that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what kinds 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 provide a wide range of beauty services to help their Montgomery Pennsylvania clients look and feel better. This includes improving the quality of the skin (including the treatment of skin disorders), hair removal, permanent makeup application, and facial massage. Some types of estheticians, like medical estheticians, provide highly specialized procedures that require detailed training in order for it to be done safely and effectively. Medical estheticians can help individuals suffering from serious skin disorders, burns, and other trauma, and to help with pre and post-operative surgery affecting the health of their skin. Estheticians work closely with their clients in a friendly and positive manner, so an enthusiastic attitude and desire to help people is an excellent attribute for an aspiring esthetician to possess. Some of the basic duties an esthetician may perform will include such tasks as:

• Assessing a patient’s needs
• Chemical peels
• Laser treatments
• Waxing
• Facials
• Massage of the head and neck
• Microdermabrasion

Online Esthetician Programs

Online esthetician classes are accommodating for Montgomery PA students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced because many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not spending many hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the school you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to gain 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 confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Training Programs

Below is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Montgomery residence, as well as the expense of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled several of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician training program you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Montgomery PA employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Any esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding 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. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Montgomery PA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And finally, contact the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you select 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 respected for that program. If your vision is to start a Montgomery 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 ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Enough Live Training Provided?  Learning and refining esthetician skills and techniques demands lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty school offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that he or she receives aid in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid maintain relationships with Montgomery PA businesses that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Available?  Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students also. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an option until you find out what financial help may be available.

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Enroll in the Right Montgomery Esthetician Training

Selecting and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is important to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to consolidate all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you choose are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Montgomery Pennsylvania.

 

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