How to Find the Right Esthetician Classes Near Colonial Heights Virginia

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Colonial Heights VA, the process starts to find and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the school you choose not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be rather unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Colonial Heights home. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when evaluating potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not automatically the right option. There are several other considerations that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what kinds 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 Colonial Heights 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 Programs

Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Colonial Heights VA students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs available that can be attended by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are often fast paced because 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 dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the school you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Schools

Below is a list of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Colonial Heights residence, in addition to the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected some of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician training program you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged 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 guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Colonial Heights VA employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Every esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements 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. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Colonial Heights VA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. Finally, contact the Virginia school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted 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 frequently expand 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 dream is to launch a Colonial Heights VA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided?  Studying and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty program furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for developing your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's important that she or he receives aid in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with Colonial Heights VA businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating 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 confirm that they have extensive 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. Find out if the schools you are considering 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 belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an option before you determine what financial assistance may be provided.

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Enroll in the Best Colonial Heights Esthetician Program

Choosing and enrolling in the right esthetician college is essential to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Be sure to consolidate all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the academy and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and address 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 exam, you will be self-assured that you are ready to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Colonial Heights Virginia.

 

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