How to Select the Right Aesthetician College Near Northampton Pennsylvania

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Northampton PA, the task starts to find and enroll in the best program. It's important that the school you select not only furnishes the appropriate education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be rather confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Northampton home. Tuition will additionally be a critical aspect when evaluating potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not always the right option. There are several other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's talk 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 Northampton 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 Programs

Online esthetician schools are convenient for Northampton PA students who are employed full time and have family responsibilities 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 conventional beauty programs are typically fast paced because many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Training Courses

Following is a list of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Northampton home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like 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 additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician college you choose 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently 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 final benefit, many Northampton PA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Every esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Northampton PA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, 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 finally, contact the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you select a school that focuses on 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 dream is to open a Northampton 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 ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided?  Studying and refining esthetician techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses 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 rather depends heavily on using mannequins, it might not be the best option for acquiring your skills. So search for alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's essential that she or he gets support in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with Northampton PA employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Talk to 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 expense, do not drop it as an alternative before you determine what financial assistance may be provided.

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Enroll in the Right Northampton Esthetician Program

Selecting and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is essential to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to organize 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 contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you pick are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address 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. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Northampton Pennsylvania.

 

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