How to Select the Best Esthetician College Near Clarksville Tennessee

Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Clarksville TN, the process starts to find and enroll in the best program. It's important that the program you select not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you may be somewhat puzzled about the contrast 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 intend on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Clarksville residence. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when assessing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not always the ideal option. There are many other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what kinds of training programs are available.

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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 provide a wide range of beauty services to help their Clarksville Tennessee clients look and feel better. This includes improving the quality of the skin (including the treatment of skin disorders), hair removal, permanent makeup application, and facial massage. Some types of estheticians, like medical estheticians, provide highly specialized procedures that require detailed training in order for it to be done safely and effectively. Medical estheticians can help individuals suffering from serious skin disorders, burns, and other trauma, and to help with pre and post-operative surgery affecting the health of their skin. Estheticians work closely with their clients in a friendly and positive manner, so an enthusiastic attitude and desire to help people is an excellent attribute for an aspiring esthetician to possess. Some of the basic duties an esthetician may perform will include such tasks as:

• Assessing a patient’s needs
• Chemical peels
• Laser treatments
• Waxing
• Facials
• Massage of the head and neck
• Microdermabrasion

Online Esthetician Programs

Online esthetician programs are accommodating for Clarksville TN students who are employed full time and have family responsibilities 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 home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are often fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending numerous hours outside of your home or commuting to and from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the school you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Schools

Following is a list of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Clarksville residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want 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 even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have put together several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician school you enroll in 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 measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically 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 final benefit, numerous Clarksville TN 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 Great Reputation?  Each esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. 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, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Clarksville TN salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. And last, check with the Tennessee school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to open a Clarksville TN 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 poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided?  Practicing and refining esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best option for acquiring your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's imperative that he or she receives support in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with Clarksville TN businesses that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out 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. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and identify 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 meets all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an alternative until you find out what financial aid may be available.

Learn How to Become an Esthetician in Clarksville

Enroll in the Right Clarksville Esthetician Training

Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is important to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you pick are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, 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 ideal choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are ready to start your career as a professional esthetician in Clarksville Tennessee.

 

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