How to Find the Right Aesthetician College Near Bristol Tennessee
Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Bristol TN, the task begins to locate and enroll in the right program. It's imperative that the program you choose not only furnishes the appropriate training for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be somewhat confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Bristol home. Tuition will likewise be an important factor when reviewing potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not always the right option. There are several other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what types of training 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 Bristol Tennessee 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 schools are advantageous for Bristol TN students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based beauty school programs available that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are typically fast paced since many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. However, it's vital that the program you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Aesthetician Schools
Below is a series of questions that you need 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 Bristol home, together with the price of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make certain that the esthetician college you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Bristol TN businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. 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 demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Bristol TN salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And finally, consult the Tennessee 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 Focus? A number of 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 example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you decide on a school that focuses on 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 launch a Bristol TN beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. So search for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that she or he gets aid in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with Bristol TN businesses that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, 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? The majority of esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and identify 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 as well. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not omit it as an alternative before you determine what financial aid may be offered.
More Info on How to Become an Aesthetician in Bristol
Enroll in the Best Bristol Esthetician Training
Choosing and enrolling in the right esthetician college is essential to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel confident about your decision. Don't forget to organize all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the academy and program you pick are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Bristol Tennessee.