How to Choose the Best Aesthetician Program Near Greenville South Carolina
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Greenville SC, the process begins to locate and enroll in the ideal program. It's essential that the school you choose not only furnishes the proper training for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be rather confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Greenville home. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when evaluating possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not necessarily the best option. There are various other considerations that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for instance 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 types of programs are available.
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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 Greenville 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 Classes
Online esthetician classes are advantageous for Greenville SC students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs offered that can be attended by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced since many courses 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 covering the same volume of material, but you're not devoting many hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the school you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Aesthetician Programs
Following is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Greenville home, together with the price of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled several of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician college you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which frequently 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 Greenville SC businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews together with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Greenville SC salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And last, check with the South Carolina school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you decide on a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to launch a Greenville SC 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 pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty academy provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's crucial that he or she gets aid in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance develop relationships with Greenville SC employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, 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 respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students as well. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not omit it as an alternative before you learn what financial aid may be offered.
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Enroll in the Right Greenville Esthetician Course
Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician school is essential to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Don't forget to compile all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the college and program you pick are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your career as a professional esthetician in Greenville South Carolina.
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