How to Choose the Best Aesthetician Program Near New Castle Pennsylvania
Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near New Castle PA, the process starts to search for and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the program you pick not only provides the necessary instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start 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 basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your New Castle home. Tuition will likewise be an important factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not automatically the best choice. There are various other factors that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what types of training programs are available.
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Esthetics 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 New Castle 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 Programs
Online esthetician programs are accommodating for New Castle PA students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs available that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are often fast paced because many courses are as short 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 amount of material, but you're not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it's important that the school you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetician Trade Schools
Below is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your New Castle residence, as well as the cost of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want 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 preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected some of those additional questions that you need to 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 select 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 assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous New Castle PA employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with New Castle PA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. And last, consult the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating 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 typically 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 objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to start a New Castle PA beauty salon, then you need 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 weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and refining esthetician techniques and abilities involves plenty of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore look for other schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's imperative that he or she receives aid in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid develop relationships with New Castle PA employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Talk to 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 offered to students also. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an option before you learn what financial help may be offered.
More Info on How to Become an Aesthetician in New Castle
Enroll in the Best New Castle Esthetician Training
Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is essential to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. 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 responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the college and program you pick are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are ready to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in New Castle Pennsylvania.
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