How to Select the Right Esthetician School Near North Whitehall Pennsylvania

Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near North Whitehall PA, the task begins to locate and enroll in the best program. It's essential that the program you select not only provides the appropriate education for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be somewhat confused about the difference 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 want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your North Whitehall home. Tuition will likewise be a critical factor when evaluating potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not automatically the right option. There are several other considerations that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what kinds of programs 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 North Whitehall 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 Training

Online esthetician classes are convenient for North Whitehall PA students who are employed full-time and have family obligations that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs offered that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are often fast paced since many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you're not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. However, it's imperative that the program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to gain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Training Courses

Following is a list of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your North Whitehall home, together with the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician school you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national agency, 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 superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many North Whitehall PA businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Each esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Check rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with North Whitehall PA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. And finally, check with the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  Many esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you decide on a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to launch a North Whitehall PA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided?  Practicing and mastering esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. So look for alternate schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that she or he receives aid in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with North Whitehall PA employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  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 department. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students also. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you find out what financial aid may be provided.

Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in North Whitehall

Enroll in the Best North Whitehall Esthetician Training

Locating and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is imperative to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to consolidate all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the institution and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your career as a professional esthetician in North Whitehall Pennsylvania.

 

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