How to Pick the Best Esthetician College Near Centreville Virginia

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Centreville VA, the process starts to search for and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the program you pick not only provides the necessary training for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be a little bit confused about the distinction 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 find a school that is within driving distance of your Centreville home. Tuition will also be an important aspect when assessing possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not always the right option. There are several other factors that you should weigh when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types of courses 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 Centreville 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 Courses

Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Centreville VA students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs available that can be accessed by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced given that many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not spending numerous hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the school you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Programs

Following is a list of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Centreville home, together with the price of tuition, will probably be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician school you choose 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Centreville VA 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 beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews together with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Centreville VA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And finally, check with the Virginia school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically 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 intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to start a Centreville VA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided?  Practicing and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty school offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's crucial that he or she gets assistance in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer assistance maintain relationships with Centreville VA businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  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. Speak with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may 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 meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an option before you find out what financial help may be offered.

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Enroll in the Right Centreville Esthetician Course

Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is imperative to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to consolidate all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the school and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start 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 right selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Centreville Virginia.

 

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