How to Enroll In the Best Aesthetician Program Near Greenwood South Carolina
Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Greenwood SC, the task begins to find and enroll in the best program. It's essential that the program you pick not only provides the appropriate education for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be rather confused 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 type of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Greenwood residence. Tuition will additionally be a critical consideration when assessing possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not always the best choice. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what kinds of training programs 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 (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in Greenwood 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 Esthetics Classes
Online esthetician classes are advantageous for Greenwood SC students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs available that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced since many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you're not spending numerous hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the training program you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetics Programs
Below is a list of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Greenwood home, together with the cost of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician training program you choose 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 measure up to their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Greenwood SC employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references 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 services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Greenwood SC salon owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And finally, consult the South Carolina school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your objective 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 start a Greenwood SC 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 rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Practicing and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty school provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. Therefore look for other schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's essential that he or she receives help in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid develop relationships with Greenwood SC businesses that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not eliminate it as an option until you learn what financial aid may be offered.
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Enroll in the Best Greenwood Esthetician Training
Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is imperative to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to consolidate all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Greenwood South Carolina.
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