How to Enroll In the Best Aesthetician College Near Blacksburg Virginia
Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Blacksburg VA, the process begins to find and enroll in the ideal program. It's essential that the school you choose not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be somewhat unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Blacksburg home. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when assessing potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not always the best option. There are a number of other considerations that you should weigh when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what kinds of courses are offered.
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Esthetician 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 Blacksburg Virginia 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 classes are accommodating for Blacksburg VA students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs offered that can be attended through a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty schools are typically fast paced since many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not devoting many hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it's vital that the training program you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure 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 area of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetics Training Courses
Below is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Blacksburg residence, in addition to the expense of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue 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 additional factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make certain that the esthetician training program you pick 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 comply with their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Blacksburg VA businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Check rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Blacksburg VA salon owners or managers, or someone 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 thought of. Finally, contact the Virginia 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 Specialty? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing 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 typically broaden 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 intention 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 open a Blacksburg VA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Learning and refining esthetician techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's crucial that she or he gets assistance in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid develop relationships with Blacksburg VA businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students also. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an option before you find out what financial help may be available.
More Info on How to Become an Esthetician in Blacksburg
Enroll in the Best Blacksburg Esthetician Course
Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician college is imperative to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Don't forget to compile all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the academy and program you pick are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Blacksburg Virginia.
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