How to Enroll In the Right Aesthetician Course Near Charlottesville Virginia
Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Charlottesville VA, the process begins to locate and enroll in the best program. It's important that the program you pick not only furnishes the proper instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be rather confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much 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 Charlottesville residence. Tuition will also be an important factor when assessing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not always the ideal choice. There are several other factors 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 in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what types of programs are available.
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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 Charlottesville 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 Esthetics Courses
Online esthetician schools are convenient for Charlottesville VA students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be accessed by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced since many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you're not devoting numerous hours away from your home or driving to and from classes. However, it's essential that the school you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Aesthetician Degree Programs
Below is a list of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Charlottesville residence, in addition to the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make certain that the esthetician school you pick 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Charlottesville VA employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Charlottesville VA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. And finally, check with the Virginia school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all facets 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 important that you enroll in 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 well regarded for that program. If your desire is to open a Charlottesville VA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.
Is Enough Live 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 cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty school furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best option for developing your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's imperative that he or she gets help in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develop relationships with Charlottesville VA employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Many esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Consult 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 too. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an option before you learn what financial aid may be provided.
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Enroll in the Best Charlottesville Esthetician Program
Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is important to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Don't forget to collect all of the responses you get 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 procedure is to make certain that the college and program you pick are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are prepared to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Charlottesville Virginia.
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