How to Find the Right Esthetician College Near Scranton Pennsylvania

Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Scranton PA, the process begins to locate and enroll in the ideal program. It's important that the program you choose not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be somewhat puzzled about the distinction 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 plan on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Scranton home. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when evaluating potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not automatically the ideal option. There are many other considerations that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types of courses are offered.

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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 provide a wide range of beauty services to help their Scranton 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 Esthetics Schools

Online esthetician programs are accommodating for Scranton PA students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs available that can be attended via a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are often fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the school you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Schools

Below is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Scranton home, together with the cost of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably 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 should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's essential 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 organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Scranton PA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Every esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Scranton PA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. Finally, consult 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 comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often 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 goal is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your dream is to launch a Scranton PA beauty salon, then you want 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 poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.

Is Any Live Training Provided?  Learning and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty school offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's important that he or she receives help in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid maintain relationships with Scranton PA businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, find out 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 Offered?  Many esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students as well. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not drop it as an option before you find out what financial aid may be provided.

Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in Scranton

Enroll in the Right Scranton Esthetician Course

Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician program is imperative to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to compile all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Scranton Pennsylvania.

 

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