How to Find the Best Aesthetician Training Program Near Oakton Virginia
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Oakton VA, the process begins to search for and enroll in the best program. It's essential that the program you select not only provides the necessary education for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be somewhat puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Oakton residence. Tuition will also be an important consideration when reviewing potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not always the right option. There are a number of other qualifications that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review 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 offered.
It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Esthetician Career Below!
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 Oakton 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 Training
Online esthetician classes are advantageous for Oakton VA students who are employed full-time and have family obligations that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended via a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are frequently fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not devoting many hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the training program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training needed 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 profession. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Esthetician Trade Schools
Following is a list of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Oakton home, in addition to the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt 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 need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician school you choose 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which often 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, many Oakton VA employers will not recruit 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 school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews together with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Oakton VA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And last, contact the Virginia school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly 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 goal 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 start a Oakton 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 regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.
Is Enough Live 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 beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty program offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore search for other schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's essential that he or she receives assistance in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance develop relationships with Oakton VA employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Talk to 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 accessible to students too. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not omit it as an alternative before you find out what financial aid may be provided.
Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in Oakton
Enroll in the Best Oakton Esthetician Program
Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to consolidate 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 good beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you pick are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are ready to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Oakton Virginia.