How to Choose the Best Esthetician Program Near Virginia Beach Virginia
Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Virginia Beach VA, the process starts to locate and enroll in the right program. It's imperative that the program you pick not only furnishes the necessary training for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you might be somewhat unclear 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 Virginia Beach home. Tuition will also be an important factor when assessing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not automatically the right choice. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what kinds of training programs are offered.
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Esthetics 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 Virginia Beach 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 Training
Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Virginia Beach VA students who are employed full-time and have family commitments that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty schools are typically fast paced because many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you're not spending numerous hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the training program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training needed 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 field. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetician Programs
Below is a list of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Virginia Beach residence, together with the expense of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician training program you enroll in 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Virginia Beach VA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Virginia Beach VA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not considered. 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 Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important 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 well regarded for that program. If your desire is to open a Virginia Beach VA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty program furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies predominantly on using mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for developing your skills. So look for alternate schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's essential that he or she gets aid in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer assistance maintain relationships with Virginia Beach VA businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? 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 department. Speak with a counselor and learn 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 available to students as well. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an option until you determine what financial aid may be available.
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Enroll in the Best Virginia Beach Esthetician Program
Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician program is essential to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to consolidate all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, 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 ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Virginia Beach Virginia.
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