How to Select the Best Esthetician Program Near Highland Springs Virginia

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Highland Springs VA, the task starts to locate and enroll in the right program. It's important that the school you choose not only furnishes the appropriate training for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you may be rather confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Highland Springs home. Tuition will also be an important factor when evaluating potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not necessarily the best option. There are a number of other considerations that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss 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 Highland Springs 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 Schools

Online esthetician programs are convenient for Highland Springs VA students who are employed full time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed via a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are often fast paced because many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not devoting many hours away from your home or travelling to and from classes. However, it's vital that the school you select can provide internship training in nearby 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 impossible to gain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetician Training Programs

Below is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Highland Springs home, together with the price of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician college you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized 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 assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Highland Springs VA employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those 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 an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Check rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Highland Springs VA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. And last, contact the Virginia school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive 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 frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you select a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your desire is to launch a Highland Springs VA 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 regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided?  Learning and refining esthetician techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask 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 school provides limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies predominantly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for developing your skills. Therefore search for other schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that she or he gets support in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid maintain relationships with Highland Springs VA businesses that are looking for 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, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered?  Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and identify 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 available to students also. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an alternative before you find out what financial assistance may be provided.

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Enroll in the Right Highland Springs Esthetician Training

Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Don't forget to compile all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the institution and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to start your career as a professional esthetician in Highland Springs Virginia.

 

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