How to Find the Right Aesthetician College Near Wilkes Barre Pennsylvania

Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Wilkes Barre PA, the task begins to locate and enroll in the ideal program. It's important that the school you pick not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be rather unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Wilkes Barre home. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when evaluating possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the right 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 concerning the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types of programs are offered.

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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 (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in Wilkes Barre 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 Schools

Online esthetician programs are convenient for Wilkes Barre PA students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs available that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty programs are often fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you're not spending numerous hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the training program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Aesthetician Degree Programs

Following is a list of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Wilkes Barre home, together with the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial 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 options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following 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 essential to make certain 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Wilkes Barre PA businesses will not employ 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 exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Wilkes Barre PA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And last, check with 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 Specialty?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular 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 choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your vision is to open a Wilkes Barre PA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided?  Practicing and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty program offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for developing your skills. So search for other schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's important that she or he receives assistance in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid develop relationships with Wilkes Barre PA businesses that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered?  Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and find out 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 available to students too. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not discard it as an alternative until you determine what financial assistance may be offered.

Learn How to Become an Esthetician in Wilkes Barre

Enroll in the Best Wilkes Barre Esthetician Program

Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to compile all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are ready to start your career as a professional esthetician in Wilkes Barre Pennsylvania.

 

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