How to Pick the Best Esthetician College Near Charleston South Carolina
Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Charleston SC, the task begins to search for and enroll in the best program. It's important that the program you pick not only furnishes the necessary training for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be rather unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Charleston home. Tuition will likewise be a critical consideration when assessing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the ideal option. There are various other factors that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what kinds of training programs are offered.
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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 Charleston South Carolina 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 schools are accommodating for Charleston SC students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended via a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are frequently fast paced because 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 covering the same volume of material, but you are not devoting many hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it's essential that the training program you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Aesthetician Training Courses
Below is a series of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Charleston home, together with the expense of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn 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 consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician training program you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Charleston SC 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 Great Reputation? Each esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Check rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Charleston SC salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. Finally, contact the South Carolina school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you enroll in a school that specializes in 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 vision is to start a Charleston SC 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 rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and refining esthetician techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty school provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for developing your skills. So try to find other schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's crucial that she or he receives aid in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with Charleston SC businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students too. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an alternative before you learn what financial help may be provided.
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Enroll in the Right Charleston Esthetician Course
Choosing and enrolling in the right esthetician program is essential to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to consolidate all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are ready to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Charleston South Carolina.
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