How to Pick the Best Esthetician Course Near Nashville Tennessee

Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Nashville TN, the task starts to find and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the program you select not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin 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 essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Nashville home. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when reviewing potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not necessarily the right choice. There are various other factors that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review 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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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 Nashville 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 Esthetics Programs

Online esthetician schools are accommodating for Nashville TN students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs offered that can be accessed via a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are frequently fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not spending numerous hours outside of your home or commuting to and from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the program you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Aesthetician Training Programs

Following is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Nashville residence, together with the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue 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 initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected some of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician college you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized 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 assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which often 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, many Nashville TN businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Each esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Nashville TN salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. Finally, check with the Tennessee school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to start a Nashville TN beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach 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 Any Hands-On Training Provided?  Practicing and refining esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty program provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for developing your skills. So search for other schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's imperative that she or he gets assistance in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help develop relationships with Nashville TN businesses that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Available?  Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and find out 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 offered to students also. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an alternative before you find out what financial assistance may be provided.

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Enroll in the Right Nashville Esthetician Program

Selecting and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is important to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to collect all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Nashville Tennessee.

 

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